TCEB3 initiates ovarian cancer apoptosis by mediating ubiquitination and degradation of MCL-1.

Platinum resistance remains a major contributor to the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Anti-apoptotic protein myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) has emerged as a promising target for overcoming drug resistance, but different cancer cells utilize distinct protein degradation pathways to alter MCL-1 level. We systematically investigated E3 ligases to identify novel candidates that mediate platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. Transcription Elongation Factor B (TCEB3) has been identified as a novel E3 ligase recognition subunit that targets MCL-1 in the cytoplasm during platinum treatment other than its traditional function of targeting the Pol II in the nuclear compartment. TCEB3 expression is downregulated in platinum-resistant cell lines and this low expression is associated with poor prognosis. The ubiquitination of MCL-1 induced by TCEB3 leads to cell death in ovarian cancer. Moreover, platinum treatment increased the cytoplasm proportion of TCEB3, and the cytoplasm localization of TCEB3 is important for its targeting of MCL-1. This study emphasizes the dual function of TCEB3 in homeostasis maintenance and in cell fate determination under different conditions, and provides a new insight into drug resistance in ovarian cancer.

Anti-apoptotic MCL-1 promotes long-chain fatty acid oxidation through interaction with ACSL1.

MCL-1 is essential for promoting the survival of many normal cell lineages and confers survival and chemoresistance in cancer. Beyond apoptosis regulation, MCL-1 has been linked to modulating mitochondrial metabolism, but the mechanism(s) by which it does so are unclear. Here, we show in tissues and cells that MCL-1 supports essential steps in long-chain (but not short-chain) fatty acid ß-oxidation (FAO) through its binding to specific long-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases of the ACSL family. ACSL1 binds to the BH3-binding hydrophobic groove of MCL-1 through a non-conventional BH3-domain. Perturbation of this interaction, via genetic loss of Mcl1, mutagenesis, or use of selective BH3-mimetic MCL-1 inhibitors, represses long-chain FAO in cells and in mouse livers and hearts. Our findings reveal how anti-apoptotic MCL-1 facilitates mitochondrial metabolism and indicate that disruption of this function may be associated with unanticipated cardiac toxicities of MCL-1 inhibitors in clinical trials.

Anlotinib Inhibits Cisplatin Resistance in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Inhibiting MCL-1 Expression via MET/STAT3/Akt Pathway.

Background: Anlotinib is an effective targeted therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and has been found to mediate chemoresistance in many cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of anlotinib mediates cisplatin (DDP) resistance in NSCLC remains unclear. Methods: Cell viability was assessed by the cell counting kit 8 assay. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined using the colony formation assay and transwell assay. The mRNA expression levels of mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Protein expression levels of MET, MCL-1, and STAT3/Akt pathway-related markers were examined using western blot analysis. Results: Our data showed that anlotinib inhibited the DDP resistance of NSCLC cells by regulating cell proliferation and metastasis. Moreover, MET and MCL-1 expression could be decreased by anlotinib treatment. Silencing of MET suppressed the activity of the STAT3/Akt pathway and MCL-1 expression. Furthermore, MET overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of anlotinib on the DDP resistance of NSCLC cells, and this effect could be eliminated by MCL-1 knockdown or ACT001 (an inhibitor for STAT3/Akt pathway). Conclusion: Our results confirmed that anlotinib inhibited DDP resistance in NSCLC cells, which might decrease MCL-1 expression via mediating the MET/STAT3/Akt pathway.

BCL-XL inhibitors enhance the apoptotic efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in BRAFV600E colorectal cancer.

Metastatic BRAFV600E colorectal cancer (CRC) carries an extremely poor prognosis and is in urgent need of effective new treatments. While the BRAFV600E inhibitor encorafenib in combination with the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab (Enc+Cet) was recently approved for this indication, overall survival is only increased by 3.6 months and objective responses are observed in only 20% of patients. We have found that a limitation of Enc+Cet treatment is the failure to efficiently induce apoptosis in BRAFV600E CRCs, despite inducing expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BIM and repressing expression of the pro-survival protein MCL-1. Here, we show that BRAFV600E CRCs express high basal levels of the pro-survival proteins MCL-1 and BCL-XL, and that combining encorafenib with a BCL-XL inhibitor significantly enhances apoptosis in BRAFV600E CRC cell lines. This effect was partially dependent on the induction of BIM, as BIM deletion markedly attenuated BRAF plus BCL-XL inhibitor-induced apoptosis. As thrombocytopenia is an established on-target toxicity of BCL-XL inhibition, we also examined the effect of combining encorafenib with the BCL-XL -targeting PROTAC DT2216, and the novel BCL-2/BCL-XL inhibitor dendrimer conjugate AZD0466. Combining encorafenib with DT2216 significantly increased apoptosis induction in vitro, while combining encorafenib with AZD0466 was well tolerated in mice and further reduced growth of BRAFV600E CRC xenografts compared to either agent alone. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that combined BRAF and BCL-XL inhibition significantly enhances apoptosis in pre-clinical models of BRAFV600E CRC and is a combination regimen worthy of clinical investigation to improve outcomes for these patients.

Structural optimization of siRNA conjugates for albumin binding achieves effective MCL1-directed cancer therapy.

The high potential of siRNAs to silence oncogenic drivers remains largely untapped due to the challenges of tumor cell delivery. Here, divalent lipid-conjugated siRNAs are optimized for in situ binding to albumin to improve pharmacokinetics and tumor delivery. Systematic variation of the siRNA conjugate structure reveals that the location of the linker branching site dictates tendency toward albumin association versus self-assembly, while the lipid hydrophobicity and reversibility of albumin binding also contribute to siRNA intracellular delivery. The lead structure increases tumor siRNA accumulation 12-fold in orthotopic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors over the parent siRNA. This structure achieves approximately 80% silencing of the anti-apoptotic oncogene MCL1 and yields better survival outcomes in three TNBC models than an MCL-1 small molecule inhibitor. These studies provide new structure-function insights on siRNA-lipid conjugate structures that are intravenously injected, associate in situ with serum albumin, and improve pharmacokinetics and tumor treatment efficacy.

Dihydroartemisinin Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of BH3 Mimetic Inhibitor in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells via Inhibition of Mcl-1.

INTRODUCTION: Up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins such as Mcl-1 is associated with the primary and secondary resistance of tumor cells to ABT-737 Bcl-2 inhibitor. The combined treatment of Bcl-2 inhibitors with Mcl-1 inhibitors has been proposed as an attractive therapeutic strategy to overcome this drug resistance. Here, we investigated the effect of dihydroartemisinin on Mcl-1 expression and sensitization of T-ALL cells to ABT-737. METHODS: The cell growth and survival were tested by the cell proliferation and MTT assays, respectively. The mRNA levels of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bax and P21 were examined by qRT-PCR. Apoptosis were detected by Hoechst 33342 staining and caspase-3 activity assay. RESULTS: Our data showed that combination treatment with dihydroartemisinin and ABT-737 caused a significant decrease in the IC50 value and synergistically reduced the cell survival compared with dihydroartemisinin or ABT-737 alone. ABT-737 enhanced the Mcl-1 mRNA expression. Dihydroartemisinin also down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and enhanced the P21 and Bax expression. Moreover, dihydroartemisinin enhanced the apoptosis induced by ABT-737 in MOLT-4 and MOLT-17 cell lines. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, dihydroartemisinin demonstrates anti-tumor activities in human ALL cells via inhibition of cell survival and growth. Dihydroartemisinin augments the apoptotic effect of ABT-737 by inhibiting the expression of Mcl-1.

The Effects of ABT-199 and Dihydroartemisinin Combination on Cell Growth and Apoptosis in Human U937 and KG-1 Cancer Cells.

INTRODUCTION: Change in the balance of Bcl-2 family proteins is one of the main reasons for resistance of tumor cells to ABT-199. In this study, the effect of dihydroartemisinin on cell growth, apoptosis and sensitivity of the AML cells to ABT-199 was investigated. METHODS: Cell proliferation and survival were assessed by trypan blue staining and MTT assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33342 staining and caspase-3 activity assay. The expression levels of Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bax mRNA were tested by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Our data showed that combination therapy significantly reduced the IC50 value and synergistically decreased the AML cell survival and growth compared with dihydroartemisinin or ABT-199 alone. Treatment with each of ABT-199 or dihydroartemisinin alone clearly enhanced the Bax mRNA expression and inhibited the expression of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 mRNA. Inhibition of Mcl-1 mRNA by dihydroartemisinin was associated with enhancement of apoptosis induced by ABT-199 in AML cells. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, dihydroartemisinin not only triggers the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, but also can increase the sensitivity of the AML cells to ABT-199 via suppression of Mcl-1 expression.

A p53 score derived from TP53 CRISPR/Cas9 HMCLs predicts survival and reveals a major role of BAX in the response to BH3 mimetics.

ABSTRACT: To establish a strict p53-dependent gene-expression profile, TP53-/- clones were derived from TP53+/+ and TP53-/mut t(4;14) human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. From the 17 dysregulated genes shared between the TP53-/- clones from TP53+/+ HMCLs, we established a functional p53 score, involving 13 genes specifically downregulated upon p53 silencing. This functional score segregated clones and myeloma cell lines as well as other cancer cell lines according to their TP53 status. The score efficiently identified samples from patients with myeloma with biallelic TP53 inactivation and was predictive of overall survival in Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation-coMMpass and CASSIOPEA cohorts. At the functional level, we showed that among the 13 genes, p53-regulated BAX expression correlated with and directly affected the MCL1 BH3 mimetic S63845 sensitivity of myeloma cells by decreasing MCL1-BAX complexes. However, resistance to S63845 was overcome by combining MCL1 and BCL2 BH3 mimetics, which displayed synergistic efficacy. The combination of BH3 mimetics was effective in 97% of patient samples with or without del17p. Nevertheless, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis showed that myeloma cells surviving the combination had lower p53 score, showing that myeloma cells with higher p53 score were more sensitive to BH3 mimetics. Taken together, we established a functional p53 score that identifies myeloma cells with biallelic TP53 invalidation, demonstrated that p53-regulated BAX is critical for optimal cell response to BH3 mimetics, and showed that MCL1 and BCL2 BH3 mimetics in combination may be of greater effectiveness for patients with biallelic TP53 invalidation, for whom there is still an unmet medical need.

Synergistic cytotoxicity of decitabine and YM155 in leukemia cells through upregulation of SLC35F2 and suppression of MCL1 and survivin expression.

The hypomethylation agent decitabine (DAC), in combination with other apoptosis inducers, is considered a potential modality for cancer treatment. We investigated the mechanism underlying the combined cytotoxicity of DAC and YM155 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells because of increasing evidence that YM155 induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Co-administration of DAC and YM155 resulted in synergistic cytotoxicity in AML U937 cells, which was characterized by the induction of apoptosis, NOXA-dependent degradation of MCL1 and survivin, and depolarization of mitochondria. Restoration of MCL1 or survivin expression attenuated DAC/YM155-induced U937 cell death. DAC initiated AKT and p38 MAPK phosphorylation in a Ca2+/ROS-dependent manner, thereby promoting autophagy-mediated degradation of ß-TrCP mRNA, leading to increased Sp1 expression. DAC-induced Sp1 expression associated with Ten-eleven-translocation (TET) dioxygenases and p300 was used to upregulate the expression of SLC35F2. Simultaneously, the activation of p38 MAPK induced by DAC, promoted CREB-mediated NOXA expression, resulting in survivin and MCL1 degradation. The synergistic cytotoxicity of DAC and YM155 in U937 cells was dependent on elevated SLC35F2 expression. Additionally, YM155 facilitated DAC-induced degradation of MCL1 and survivin. A similar mechanism explained DAC/YM155-mediated cytotoxicity in AML HL-60 cells. Our data demonstrated that the synergistic cytotoxicity of DAC and YM155 in AML cell lines U937 and HL-60 is dependent on AKT- and p38 MAPK-mediated upregulation of SLC35F2 and p38 MAPK-mediated degradation of survivin and MCL1. This indicates that a treatment regimen that amalgamates YM155 and DAC may be beneficial for AML.

Electron transport chain and mTOR inhibition synergistically decrease CD40 signaling and counteract venetoclax resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

CD40 signaling upregulates BCL-XL and MCL-1 expression in the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lymph node microenvironment, affording resistance to the BCL-2 inhibitor, venetoclax. Venetoclax resistance in the therapeutic setting and after long-term laboratory selection has been linked to metabolic alterations, but the underlying mechanism(s) are unknown. We aimed here to discover how CD40 stimulation as a model for tumor microenvironment-mediated metabolic changes, affects venetoclax sensitivity/resistance. CD40 stimulation increased oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, but only inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation countered venetoclax resistance. Furthermore, blocking mitochondrial import of pyruvate, glutamine or fatty acids affected CLL metabolism, but did not prevent CD40-mediated resistance to venetoclax. In contrast, inhibition of the electron transport chain (ETC) at complex I, III or V attenuated CLL activation and ATP production, and downregulated MCL-1 and BCL-XL, correlating with reduced CD40 surface expression. Moreover, ETC inhibition equaled mTOR1/2 but not mTOR1 inhibition alone for venetoclax resistance, and all three pathways were linked to control of general protein translation. In line with this, ETC plus mTOR inhibition synergistically counteracted venetoclax resistance. These findings link oxidative CLL metabolism to CD40 expression and cellular signaling, and may hold clinical potential.

FBXW7 affects autophagy through MCL1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality. However, effective treatment for oral cancer is urgently required in clinics. In this study, we aimed to determine whether F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (FBXW7), an essential tumor suppressor gene, can regulate autophagy and improve the prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: mRNA levels of FBXW7 and myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1) in OSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were measured by qRT-PCR. FBXW7 and MCL-1 were overexpressed in OSCC cell line using lentivirus containing FBXW7 and MCL-1, respectively. Protein expression was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein levels of FBXW7 were decreased in patients with OSCC, whereas the mRNA and protein levels of MCL-1 were increased. Moreover, the mRNA coding for autophagy proteins was reduced in patients with OSCC. Additionally, it was found that overexpression of FBXW7 significantly reduced MCL-1 expression and upregulated autophagy-related proteins, including Beclin1, autophagy related 7, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that FBXW7 affects autophagy through MCL1 in OSCC.

EGR3 and estrone are involved in the tamoxifen resistance and progression of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tamoxifen (Tam) is an effective treatment for estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. However, a significant proportion of patients develop resistance under treatment, presenting a therapeutic challenge. The study aims to determine the role of early growth response protein (EGR) 3 in tamoxifen resistance (TamR) and elucidate its molecular mechanism. METHODS: TamR cell models were established and NGS was used to screening signaling alternation. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to analysis the expression of ERα, EGR3, MCL1 and factors associated with apoptosis. CCK8, colony formation and apoptosis assay were used to analysis resistance to Tam. Immunofluorescence, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and dual luciferase assays were used to investigate mechanism of regulation. RESULTS: We observed that EGR3, a deeply rooted ERα response factor, showed increased upregulation in response to both estrone (E1) and Tam in TamR cells with elevated level of E1 and ERα expression, indicating a potential connection between EGR3 and TamR. Mechanically, manipulating EGR3 expression revealed that it imparted resistance to Tam through increased expression of the downstream molecule MCL1 (apoptosis suppressor gene) that it regulated. Mechanismly, EGR3 directly binds to the promoter of the anti-apoptotic factor MCL1 gene, facilitating its transcription. Furthermore, apoptosis assays revealed that E1 reduces Tam induced apoptosis by upregulating EGR3 expression. Importantly, clinical public database confirmed the high expression of EGR3 in breast cancer tissue and in Tam-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on the novel estrogen/EGR3/MCL1 axis and its role in inducing TamR in ER positive breast cancer. EGR3 emerges as a promising target to overcome TamR. The elucidation of this mechanism holds potential for the development of new therapeutic modalities to overcome endocrine therapy resistance in clinical settings.

Hydroquinone-selected chronic myelogenous leukemia cells are sensitive to chloroquine-induced cytotoxicity via MCL1 suppression and glycolysis inhibition.

Previous studies have provided evidence that repeated exposure to the benzene metabolite hydroquinone (HQ) induces malignant transformation and increases basal autophagy in the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line K562. This study explored the cytotoxicity of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) on parental and HQ-selected K562 (K562/HQ) cells. CQ triggered apoptosis in these cells independently of inhibiting autophagic flux; however, in K562/HQ cells, CQ-induced cytotoxicity was higher than in K562 cells. Mechanistically, CQ-induced NOXA upregulation led to MCL1 downregulation and mitochondrial depolarization in K562/HQ cells. MCL1 overexpression or NOXA silencing attenuated CQ-mediated cytotoxicity in K562/HQ cells. CQ triggered ERK inactivation to increase Sp1, NFκB, and p300 expression, and co-assembly of Sp1, NFκB, and p300 in the miR-29a promoter region coordinately upregulated miR-29a transcription. CQ-induced miR-29a expression destabilized tristetraprolin (TTP) mRNA, which in turn reduced TTP-mediated NOXA mRNA decay, thereby increasing NOXA protein expression. A similar mechanism explained the CQ-induced downregulation of MCL1 in K562 cells. K562/HQ cells relied more on glycolysis for ATP production than K562 cells, whereas inhibition of glycolysis by CQ was greater in K562/HQ cells than in K562 cells. Likewise, CQ-induced MCL1 suppression and glycolysis inhibition resulted in higher cytotoxicity in CML KU812/HQ cells than in KU812 cells. Taken together, our data confirm that CQ inhibits MCL1 expression through the ERK/miR-29a/TTP/NOXA pathway, and that inhibition of glycolysis is positively correlated to higher cytotoxicity of CQ on HQ-selected CML cells.

Enitociclib, a Selective CDK9 Inhibitor, Induces Complete Regression of MYC+ Lymphoma by Downregulation of RNA Polymerase II Mediated Transcription.

Double-hit diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DH-DLBCL) is an aggressive, and often refractory, type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) characterized by rearrangements in MYC and BCL2. Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) regulates transcriptional elongation and activation of transcription factors, including MYC, making it a potential targeted approach for the treatment of MYC+ lymphomas. Enitociclib is a well-tolerated and clinically active CDK9 inhibitor leading to complete metabolic remissions in 2 of 7 patients with DH-DLBCL treated with once weekly 30 mg intravenous administration. Herein, we investigate the pharmacodynamic effect of CDK9 inhibition in preclinical models and in blood samples from patients [DH-DLBCL (n = 10) and MYC+ NHL (n = 5)] treated with 30 mg i.v. once weekly enitociclib. Enitociclib shows significant regulation of RNA polymerase II Ser2 phosphorylation in a MYC-amplified SU-DHL-4 cell line and depletion of MYC and antiapoptosis protein MCL1 in SU-DHL-4 and MYC-overexpressing SU-DHL-10 cell lines in vitro. Tumor growth inhibition reaching 0.5% of control treated SU-DHL-10 xenografts is achieved in vivo and MYC and MCL1 depletion as well as evidence of apoptosis activation after enitociclib treatment is demonstrated. An unbiased analysis of the genes affected by CDK9 inhibition in both cell lines demonstrates that RNA polymerase II and transcription pathways are primarily affected and novel enitociclib targets such as PHF23 and TP53RK are discovered. These findings are recapitulated in blood samples from enitociclib-treated patients; while MYC downregulation is most robust with enitociclib treatment, other CDK9-regulated targets may be MYC independent delivering a transcriptional downregulation via RNA polymerase II. SIGNIFICANCE: MYC+ lymphomas are refractory to standard of care and novel treatments that downregulate MYC are needed. The utility of enitociclib, a selective CDK9 inhibitor in this patient population, is demonstrated in preclinical models and patients. Enitociclib inhibits RNA polymerase II function conferring a transcriptional shift and depletion of MYC and MCL1. Enitociclib intermittent dosing downregulates transcription factors including MYC, providing a therapeutic window for durable responses in patients with MYC+ lymphoma.

Oridonin Synergistically Enhances the Pro-Apoptotic Effect of Venetoclax on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells by Inhibiting AKT Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a recurrence-prone hematologic malignancy. The advent of molecularly targeted therapies provides new opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of AML treatments. Venetoclax, a selective inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, has shown promising results; however, resistance often arises due to elevated expression of the Mcl-1 protein, among other factors. Overcoming this resistance to improve therapeutic outcomes is a pressing issue that requires further investigation. Studies have demonstrated that oridonin, by inhibiting AKT signaling that regulates Mcl-1 expression, can effectively suppress tumor cell growth. This study aims to investigate whether oridonin can synergistically enhance the anti-leukemic effects of venetoclax and explore the underlying mechanisms behind this effect. METHODS: In vitro experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of the combination of oridonin and venetoclax on AML cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Transcriptome sequencing was used to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the synergistic induction of AML cell apoptosis by the combination therapy. Western blotting and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) techniques were used to validate the findings. Additionally, an AML mouse model was established to observe the synergistic anti-AML effects of venetoclax combined with oridonin in vivo. RESULTS: Both venetoclax and oridonin individually exhibited inhibitory effects on AML cell proliferation, resulted in cell cycle arrest, and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, combination of the two drugs resulted in a synergistic effect. We also observed that oridonin inhibited AKT phosphorylation, upregulated the expression of Bim and Bax proteins, facilitated Mcl-1 degradation, and enhanced the apoptotic effects of venetoclax in AML cells. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that the combination of oridonin and venetoclax effectively inhibited the growth of AML xenograft tumors in mice and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSIONS: Oridonin and venetoclax synergistically promote AML cell apoptosis by inhibiting AKT signaling.

Hyperphosphorylation of BCL-2 family proteins underlies functional resistance to venetoclax in lymphoid malignancies.

The B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor venetoclax is effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, resistance may develop over time. Other lymphoid malignancies such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are frequently intrinsically resistant to venetoclax. Although genomic resistance mechanisms such as BCL2 mutations have been described, this probably only explains a subset of resistant cases. Using 2 complementary functional precision medicine techniques - BH3 profiling and high-throughput kinase activity mapping - we found that hyperphosphorylation of BCL-2 family proteins, including antiapoptotic myeloid leukemia 1 (MCL-1) and BCL-2 and proapoptotic BCL-2 agonist of cell death (BAD) and BCL-2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX), underlies functional mechanisms of both intrinsic and acquired resistance to venetoclax in CLL and DLBCL. Additionally, we provide evidence that antiapoptotic BCL-2 family protein phosphorylation altered the apoptotic protein interactome, thereby changing the profile of functional dependence on these prosurvival proteins. Targeting BCL-2 family protein phosphorylation with phosphatase-activating drugs rewired these dependencies, thus restoring sensitivity to venetoclax in a panel of venetoclax-resistant lymphoid cell lines, a resistant mouse model, and in paired patient samples before venetoclax treatment and at the time of progression.

Mitochondrial IRG1 traps MCL-1 to induce hepatocyte apoptosis and promote carcinogenesis.

Hepatocarcinogenesis is initiated by repeated hepatocyte death and liver damage, and the underlying mechanisms mediating cell death and the subsequent carcinogenesis remain to be fully investigated. Immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1) and its enzymatic metabolite itaconate are known to suppress inflammation in myeloid cells, and its expression in liver parenchymal hepatocytes is currently determined. However, the potential roles of IRG1 in hepatocarcinogenesis are still unknown. Here, using the diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis mouse model, we found that IRG1 expression in hepatocytes was markedly induced upon DEN administration. The DEN-induced IRG1 was then determined to promote the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis of hepatocytes and liver damage, thus enhancing the subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, the mitochondrial IRG1 could associate and trap anti-apoptotic MCL-1 to inhibit the interaction between MCL-1 and pro-apoptotic Bim, thus promoting Bim activation and downstream Bax mitochondrial translocation, and then releasing cytochrome c and initiating apoptosis. Thus, the inducible mitochondrial IRG1 promotes hepatocyte apoptosis and the following hepatocarcinogenesis, which provides mechanistic insight and a potential target for preventing liver injury and HCC.

Intracellular BAPTA directly inhibits PFKFB3, thereby impeding mTORC1-driven Mcl-1 translation and killing MCL-1-addicted cancer cells.

Intracellular Ca2+ signals control several physiological and pathophysiological processes. The main tool to chelate intracellular Ca2+ is intracellular BAPTA (BAPTAi), usually introduced into cells as a membrane-permeant acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM). Previously, we demonstrated that BAPTAi enhanced apoptosis induced by venetoclax, a BCL-2 antagonist, in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This finding implied a novel interplay between intracellular Ca2+ signaling and anti-apoptotic BCL-2 function. Hence, we set out to identify the underlying mechanisms by which BAPTAi enhances cell death in B-cell cancers. In this study, we discovered that BAPTAi alone induced apoptosis in hematological cancer cell lines that were highly sensitive to S63845, an MCL-1 antagonist. BAPTAi provoked a rapid decline in MCL-1-protein levels by inhibiting mTORC1-driven Mcl-1 translation. These events were not a consequence of cell death, as BAX/BAK-deficient cancer cells exhibited similar downregulation of mTORC1 activity and MCL-1-protein levels. Next, we investigated how BAPTAi diminished mTORC1 activity and identified its ability to impair glycolysis by directly inhibiting 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) activity, a previously unknown effect of BAPTAi. Notably, these effects were also induced by a BAPTAi analog with low affinity for Ca2+. Consequently, our findings uncover PFKFB3 inhibition as an Ca2+-independent mechanism through which BAPTAi impairs cellular metabolism and ultimately compromises the survival of MCL-1-dependent cancer cells. These findings hold two important implications. Firstly, the direct inhibition of PFKFB3 emerges as a key regulator of mTORC1 activity and a promising target in MCL-1-dependent cancers. Secondly, cellular effects caused by BAPTAi are not necessarily related to Ca2+ signaling. Our data support the need for a reassessment of the role of Ca2+ in cellular processes when findings were based on the use of BAPTAi.

Podophyllotoxin reduces the aggressiveness of human oral squamous cell carcinoma through myeloid cell leukemia­1.

Podophyllotoxin (PPT), which is derived from the podophyllum plant, exhibits marked cytotoxic effects against cancer cells; however, the precise molecular mechanism underlying its activity against human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, the mechanism by which PPT induced cytotoxicity in two OSCC cell lines, HSC3 and HSC4, was determined. The effects of PPT on cytotoxicity in HSC3 and HSC4 cells were analyzed using Annexin V/PI double staining, Sub­G1 analysis, soft agar assays, western blotting, and quantitative PCR. The changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed using a JC­1 assay and cytosolic and mitochondrial fractionation. A myeloid cell leukemia­1 (Mcl­1) overexpression cell lines were also established to study the role of Mcl­1 on apoptosis. The results showed that PPT inhibited the growth of the two human OSCC cell lines and induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Compared with the control, PPT reduced the expression of Mcl­1 in both cell lines through a proteasome­dependent protein degradation process. Overall, these results suggested that targeting of Mcl­1 protein by PPT induced apoptosis, providing a foundation for further pre­clinical and clinical study of its value in the management of OSCC.

BCL-W makes only minor contributions to MYC-driven lymphoma development.

The BH3-mimetic drug Venetoclax, a specific inhibitor of anti-apoptotic BCL-2, has had clinical success for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia. Attention has now shifted towards related pro-survival BCL-2 family members, hypothesising that new BH3-mimetic drugs targeting these proteins may emulate the success of Venetoclax. BH3-mimetics targeting pro-survival MCL-1 or BCL-XL have entered clinical trials, but managing on-target toxicities is challenging. While increasing evidence suggests BFL-1/A1 is a resistance factor for diverse chemotherapeutic agents and BH3-mimetic drugs in haematological malignancies, few studies have explored the role of BCL-W in the development, expansion, and therapeutic responses of cancer. Previously, we found that BCL-W was not required for the ongoing survival and growth of various established human Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell lines. However, questions remained about whether BCL-W impacts lymphoma development. Here, we show that BCL-W appears dispensable for MYC-driven lymphomagenesis, and such tumours arising in the absence of BCL-W show no compensatory changes to BCL-2 family member expression, nor altered sensitivity to BH3-mimetic drugs. These results demonstrate that BCL-W does not play a major role in the development of MYC-driven lymphoma or the responses of these tumours to anti-cancer agents.