ABSTRACT
Inhibition of distinct ubiquitin E3 ligases might represent a powerful therapeutic tool. ITCH is a HECT domain-containing E3 ligase that promotes the ubiquitylation and degradation of several proteins, including p73, p63, c-Jun, JunB, Notch and c-FLIP, thus affecting cell fate. Accordingly, ITCH depletion potentiates the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs, revealing ITCH as a potential pharmacological target in cancer therapy. Using high throughput screening of ITCH auto-ubiquitylation, we identified several putative ITCH inhibitors, one of which is clomipramine--a clinically useful antidepressant drug. Previously, we have shown that clomipramine inhibits autophagy by blocking autophagolysosomal fluxes and thus could potentiate chemotherapy in vitro. Here, we found that clomipramine specifically blocks ITCH auto-ubiquitylation, as well as p73 ubiquitylation. By screening structural homologs of clomipramine, we identified several ITCH inhibitors and putative molecular moieties that are essential for ITCH inhibition. Treating a panel of breast, prostate and bladder cancer cell lines with clomipramine, or its homologs, we found that they reduce cancer cell growth, and synergize with gemcitabine or mitomycin in killing cancer cells by blocking autophagy. We also discuss a potential mechanism of inhibition. Together, our study (i) demonstrates the feasibility of using high throughput screening to identify E3 ligase inhibitors and (ii) provides insight into how clomipramine and its structural homologs might interfere with ITCH and other HECT E3 ligase catalytic activity in (iii) potentiating chemotherapy by regulating autophagic fluxes. These results may have direct clinical applications.
Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology , Autophagy/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/analysis , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , High-Throughput Screening Assays/methods , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/antagonists & inhibitors , Binding Sites , Cell Line, Tumor , Clomipramine/analogs & derivatives , Clomipramine/chemistry , Clomipramine/pharmacology , Drug Synergism , Humans , Models, Molecular , Protein Structure, Tertiary , Reproducibility of Results , Ubiquitin/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/chemistry , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolismABSTRACT
A new metallo-endopeptidase which hydrolyzes atrium natriuretic factor (ANF) has been isolated from human neuroblastoma NB-OK-1 cells. In the present study we show that this metallo-endopeptidase is also present in several other human neuroblastoma cell lines, which include CHP 100, SH-SY5Y, SK-N-BE(2), BE(2)-C and BE(2)M-17. Additionally, we show that this endopeptidase activity is reduced to about 20% of the control during retinoic acid (RA)-induced neuronal differentiation in the RA-sensitive SK-N-BE(2) cells, but not in the RA-resistant BE(2)-M17 cells. This suggests that the inhibition is related to neuronal differentiation and not to a direct effect of 5 microM RA on the enzyme activity. This new enzyme is clearly distinct from neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE,EC 3.4.15.1), since specific inhibitors for these endopeptidases (10 microM phosphoramidon and 1 mM captopril, respectively) had no effect on their activity. However, this enzyme was inhibited 100% by 10 mM o-phenanthroline showing an inhibitory spectrum similar to that of another novel metallo-endopeptidase recently isolated in our laboratory from Xenopus laevis skin secretion. Although the physiological function of this new enzyme in human neuroblastoma cells is not known at the present time, we suggest that it may participate in inactivation of neuropeptides such as atrium natriuretic factor (ANF), substance P, somatostatin-14 and bradykinin in vivo.
Subject(s)
Atrial Natriuretic Factor/antagonists & inhibitors , Neprilysin/isolation & purification , Humans , Neprilysin/antagonists & inhibitors , Neprilysin/pharmacology , Tretinoin/pharmacology , Tumor Cells, CulturedABSTRACT
A new metallo-endopeptidase which hydrolyzes atrium natriuretic factor (ANF) has been isolated from human neuroblastoma NB-OK-1 cells. In the present study we show that this metallo-endopeptidase is also present in several other human neuroblastoma cell lines, which include CHP 100, SH-SY5Y, SK-N-BE(2), BE(2)-C and BE(2)M-17. Additionally, we show that this endopeptidase activity is reduced to about 20 per cent of the control during retinoic acid (RA)-induced neuronal differentiation in the RA-sensitive SK-N-BE(2) cells, but not in the RA-resistant BE(2)-M17 cells. This suggests that the inhibition is related to neuronal differentiation and not to a direct effect of 5 microM RA on the enzyme activity. This new enzyme is clearly distinct from neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE,EC 3.4.15.1), since specific inhibitors for these endopeptidases (10 microM phosphoramidon and 1 mM captopril, respectively) had no effect on their activity. However, this enzyme was inhibited 100 per cent by 10 mM o-phenanthroline showing an inhibitory spectrum similar to that of another novel metallo-endopeptidase recently isolated in our laboratory from Xenopus laevis skin secretion. Although the physiological function of this new enzyme in human neuroblastoma cells is not known at the present time, we suggest that it may participate in inactivation of neuropeptides such as atrium natriuretic factor (ANF), substance P, somatostatin-14 and bradykinin in vivo