ABSTRACT
The importance of BET protein BRD4 in gene transcription is well recognized through the study of chemical modulation of its characteristic tandem bromodomain (BrD) binding to lysine-acetylated histones and transcription factors. However, while monovalent inhibition of BRD4 by BET BrD inhibitors such as JQ1 blocks growth of hematopoietic cancers, it is much less effective generally in solid tumors. Here, we report a thienodiazepine-based bivalent BrD inhibitor, MS645, that affords spatially constrained tandem BrD inhibition and consequently sustained repression of BRD4 transcriptional activity in blocking proliferation of solid-tumor cells including a panel of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. MS645 blocks BRD4 binding to transcription enhancer/mediator proteins MED1 and YY1 with potency superior to monovalent BET inhibitors, resulting in down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and genes for cell-cycle control and DNA damage repair that are largely unaffected by monovalent BrD inhibition. Our study suggests a therapeutic strategy to maximally control BRD4 activity for rapid growth of solid-tumor TNBC cells.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Neoplasm Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Nuclear Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Transcription Factors/antagonists & inhibitors , Transcription, Genetic/drug effects , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Cell Cycle Proteins , Cell Line, Tumor , Female , Humans , Mediator Complex Subunit 1/genetics , Mediator Complex Subunit 1/metabolism , Neoplasm Proteins/genetics , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Nuclear Proteins/genetics , Nuclear Proteins/metabolism , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/pathology , YY1 Transcription Factor/genetics , YY1 Transcription Factor/metabolismABSTRACT
Induction of Nrf2-mediated detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes is an effective strategy for cancer chemoprevention. The goal of this study was to examine the role of calcium [Ca(2+)] in regulating a well-known phenolic chemopreventive compound tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) activation of Nrf2 and induction of Nrf2 downstream target gene heme-oxygenase (HO-1). tBHQ alone caused Nrf2 nuclear localization and induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Using RT-PCR and Western blotting, we showed that tBHQ-induced transcription of HO-1 is Ca(2+)-dependent. Chelation of [Ca(2+)](ext) or [Ca(2+)](intra) by EGTA or BAPTA attenuated tBHQ-induced HO-1. Cotreatment of tBHQ with inhibitors of [Ca(2+)]-sensitive protein kinase C and camodulin kinase did not attenuate HO-1 induction. Nuclear translocation of Nrf2 induced by tBHQ was also not affected by treatment of EGTA or BAPTA. Additionally, EGTA and BAPTA treatments decreased basal nuclear phosphorylation of CREB and decreased tBHQ-induced Nrf2-CBP binding and Nrf2 binding to enhancer as well as polymerase II binding to the promoter of HO-1 gene. Furthermore, tBHQ in combination with higher [Ca(2+)](ext) augmented HO-1 induction both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that the modulation of [Ca(2+)](int) could be used as an adjuvant to increase the efficacy of chemopreventive agents. Taken together, our results indicated that in addition to tBHQ-induced oxidative stress-mediated Nrf2 translocation, HO-1 induction by tBHQ also appears to be dependent on a series of Ca(2+)-regulated mechanisms.
Subject(s)
Anticarcinogenic Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Calcium/metabolism , Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics , Hydroquinones/pharmacology , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Cell Line, Tumor , DNA Polymerase II/metabolism , Enhancer Elements, Genetic , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/drug effects , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects , Glutathione Transferase/genetics , Hep G2 Cells , Humans , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Protein Transport/drug effectsABSTRACT
Carcinogenesis is a multi-step process which could be prevented by phytochemicals. Phytochemicals from dietary plants and other plant sources such as herbs are becoming increasingly important sources of anticancer drugs or compounds for cancer chemoprevention or adjuvant chemotherapy. Phytochemicals can prevent cancer initiation, promotion, and progression by exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects which are mediated by integrated Nrf2, NF-kappaB, and AP-1 signaling pathways. In addition, phytochemicals from herbal medicinal plants and/or some dietary plants developed in recent years have been shown to induce apoptosis in cancer cells and inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. In advanced tumors, a series of changes involving critical signaling molecules that would drive tumor cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and becoming invasive. In this review, we will discuss the potential molecular targets and signaling pathways that mediate tumor onset and metastasis. In addition, we will shed light on some of the phytochemicals that are capable of targeting these signaling pathways which would make them potentially applicable to cancer chemoprevention, treatment and control of cancer progression.