bims-nenemi 2023-01-15 papers

bims-nenemi

Biomed News

on Neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and mitochondria

Issue of 2023‒01‒15
seventeen papers selected by
Marco Tigano
Thomas Jefferson University

Translation initiation of leaderless and polycistronic transcripts in mammalian mitochondria.
Mitochondrial signalling and homeostasis: from cell biology to neurological disease.
Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response and Integrated Stress Response as Promising Therapeutic Targets for Mitochondrial Diseases.
Stress promotes RNA G-quadruplex folding in human cells.
A role for BCL2L13 and autophagy in germline purifying selection of mtDNA.
ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.
OxPhos defects cause hypermetabolism and reduce lifespan in cells and in patients with mitochondrial diseases.
Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes dysfunction contributes to PARP-1-dependent cell death under oxidative stress in retinal precursor cells.
Small molecule agonist of mitochondrial fusion repairs mitochondrial dysfunction.
Signaling landscape of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs.
Characterization of mitochondrial and metabolic alterations induced by trisomy 21 during neural differentiation.
High-content phenotypic screen to identify small molecule enhancers of Parkin-dependent ubiquitination and mitophagy.
Disruption of mitochondrial dynamics triggers muscle inflammation through interorganellar contacts and mitochondrial DNA mislocation.
Mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1) inhibits proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the NF-κB pathway in thyroid cancer cells.
Microtubule-mitochondrial attachment facilitates cell division symmetry and mitochondrial partitioning in fission yeast.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts induce growth and radioresistance of breast cancer cells through paracrine IL-6.
Targeting TBK1 to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy.

Nucleic Acids Res. 2023 Jan 11. pii: gkac1233. [Epub ahead of print]

Translation initiation of leaderless and polycistronic transcripts in mammalian mitochondria.

Cristina Remes, Anas Khawaja, Sarah F Pearce, Adam M Dinan, Shreekara Gopalakrishna, Miriam Cipullo, Vasileios Kyriakidis, Jingdian Zhang, Xaquin Castro Dopico, Olessya Yukhnovets, Ilian Atanassov, Andrew E Firth, Barry Cooperman, Joanna Rorbach.

The synthesis of mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes is central to cellular metabolism, yet many molecular details of mitochondrial translation remain elusive. It has been commonly held view that translation initiation in human mitochondria proceeded in a manner similar to bacterial systems, with the mitoribosomal small subunit bound to the initiation factors, mtIF2 and mtIF3, along with initiator tRNA and an mRNA. However, unlike in bacteria, most human mitochondrial mRNAs lack 5' leader sequences that can mediate small subunit binding, raising the question of how leaderless mRNAs are recognized by mitoribosomes. By using novel in vitro mitochondrial translation initiation assays, alongside biochemical and genetic characterization of cellular knockouts of mitochondrial translation factors, we describe unique features of translation initiation in human mitochondria. We show that in vitro, leaderless mRNA transcripts can be loaded directly onto assembled 55S mitoribosomes, but not onto the mitoribosomal small subunit (28S), in a manner that requires initiator fMet-tRNAMet binding. In addition, we demonstrate that in human cells and in vitro, mtIF3 activity is not required for translation of leaderless mitochondrial transcripts but is essential for translation of ATP6 in the case of the bicistronic ATP8/ATP6 transcript. Furthermore, we show that mtIF2 is indispensable for mitochondrial protein synthesis. Our results demonstrate an important evolutionary divergence of the mitochondrial translation system and further our fundamental understanding of a process central to eukaryotic metabolism.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkac1233
Trends Neurosci. 2023 Jan 10. pii: S0166-2236(22)00239-9. [Epub ahead of print]

Mitochondrial signalling and homeostasis: from cell biology to neurological disease.

Jack J Collier, Monika Oláhová, Thomas G McWilliams, Robert W Taylor.

  Efforts to understand how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to neurodegeneration have primarily focussed on the role of mitochondria in neuronal energy metabolism. However, progress in understanding the etiological nature of emerging mitochondrial functions has yielded new ideas about the mitochondrial basis of neurological disease. Studies aimed at deciphering how mitochondria signal through interorganellar contacts, vesicular trafficking, and metabolic transmission have revealed that mitochondrial regulation of immunometabolism, cell death, organelle dynamics, and neuroimmune interplay are critical determinants of neural health. Moreover, the homeostatic mechanisms that exist to protect mitochondrial health through turnover via nanoscale proteostasis and lysosomal degradation have become integrated within mitochondrial signalling pathways to support metabolic plasticity and stress responses in the nervous system. This review highlights how these distinct mitochondrial pathways converge to influence neurological health and contribute to disease pathology.

Keywords:  immunity; inflammation; metabolism; mitochondrial-derived vesicles; mitochondria–lysosome axis; quality control

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.001
Cells. 2022 Dec 21. pii: 20. [Epub ahead of print]12(1):

Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response and Integrated Stress Response as Promising Therapeutic Targets for Mitochondrial Diseases.

Hedong Lu, Xiaolei Wang, Min Li, Dongmei Ji, Dan Liang, Chunmei Liang, Yajing Liu, Zhiguo Zhang, Yunxia Cao, Weiwei Zou.

  The development and application of high-throughput omics technologies have enabled a more in-depth understanding of mitochondrial biosynthesis metabolism and the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases. In accordance with this, a host of new treatments for mitochondrial disease are emerging. As an essential pathway in maintaining mitochondrial proteostasis, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is not only of considerable significance for mitochondrial substance metabolism but also plays a fundamental role in the development of mitochondrial diseases. Furthermore, in mammals, the integrated stress response (ISR) and UPRmt are strongly coupled, functioning together to maintain mitochondrial function. Therefore, ISR and UPRmt show great application prospects in the treatment of mitochondrial diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms of ISR and UPRmt and focus on them as potential targets for mitochondrial disease therapy.

Keywords:  integrated stress response; mitochondrial diseases; mitochondrial function; mitochondrial unfolded protein response

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12010020
Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 13. 14(1): 205

Stress promotes RNA G-quadruplex folding in human cells.

Prakash Kharel, Marta Fay, Ekaterina V Manasova, Paul J Anderson, Alexander V Kurkin, Junjie U Guo, Pavel Ivanov.

Guanine (G)-rich nucleic acids can fold into G-quadruplex (G4) structures under permissive conditions. Although many RNAs contain sequences that fold into RNA G4s (rG4s) in vitro, their folding and functions in vivo are not well understood. In this report, we showed that the folding of putative rG4s in human cells into rG4 structures is dynamically regulated under stress. By using high-throughput dimethylsulfate (DMS) probing, we identified hundreds of endogenous stress-induced rG4s, and validated them by using an rG4 pull-down approach. Our results demonstrate that stress-induced rG4s are enriched in mRNA 3'-untranslated regions and enhance mRNA stability. Furthermore, stress-induced rG4 folding is readily reversible upon stress removal. In summary, our study revealed the dynamic regulation of rG4 folding in human cells and suggested that widespread rG4 motifs may have a global regulatory impact on mRNA stability and cellular stress response.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-35811-x
PLoS Genet. 2023 Jan 06. 19(1): e1010573

A role for BCL2L13 and autophagy in germline purifying selection of mtDNA.

Laura S Kremer, Lyuba V Bozhilova, Diana Rubalcava-Gracia, Roberta Filograna, Mamta Upadhyay, Camilla Koolmeister, Patrick F Chinnery, Nils-Göran Larsson.

Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited uniparentally through the female germline without undergoing recombination. This poses a major problem as deleterious mtDNA mutations must be eliminated to avoid a mutational meltdown over generations. At least two mechanisms that can decrease the mutation load during maternal transmission are operational: a stochastic bottleneck for mtDNA transmission from mother to child, and a directed purifying selection against transmission of deleterious mtDNA mutations. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling these processes remain unknown. In this study, we systematically tested whether decreased autophagy contributes to purifying selection by crossing the C5024T mouse model harbouring a single pathogenic heteroplasmic mutation in the tRNAAla gene of the mtDNA with different autophagy-deficient mouse models, including knockouts of Parkin, Bcl2l13, Ulk1, and Ulk2. Our study reveals a statistically robust effect of knockout of Bcl2l13 on the selection process, and weaker evidence for the effect of Ulk1 and potentially Ulk2, while no statistically significant impact is seen for knockout of Parkin. This points at distinctive roles of these players in germline purifying selection. Overall, our approach provides a framework for investigating the roles of other important factors involved in the enigmatic process of purifying selection and guides further investigations for the role of BCL2L13 in the elimination of non-synonymous mutations in protein-coding genes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010573
Mitochondrion. 2023 Jan 07. pii: S1567-7249(23)00001-6. [Epub ahead of print]

ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.

Brandon S Smith, Tristen Hewitt, Marica Bakovic, Ray Lu.

  In mammalian cells, mitochondrial respiration produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O2-), which is then converted by the SOD1 enzyme into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the predominant form of cytosolic ROS. ROS at high levels can be toxic, but below this threshold are important for physiological processes acting as a second messenger similar to Ca2+. Mitochondrial Ca2+ influx from the ER increases ATP and ROS production, while ATP and ROS can regulate Ca2+ homeostasis, leading to an intricate interplay between Ca2+, ROS, and ATP synthesis. The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) proteins ATF6α and XBP1 contribute to protection from oxidative stress through upregulation of Sod1 and Catalase genes. Here, UPR-associated protein CREB3 is shown to play a role in balancing Ca2+, ROS, and ATP homeostasis. Creb3-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEF-/-) were susceptible to H2O2-induced oxidative stress while having a functioning antioxidant gene expression response compared to MEF+/+. MEF-/- cells also contained elevated basal cytosolic ROS levels, which was attributed to drastically increased basal mitochondrial respiration and spare respiratory capacity relative to MEF+/+. MEF-/- cells also showed an increase in endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels hinting at a potential cause for MEF-/- cell mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that CREB3 is essential for maintaining proper Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis in mammalian cells.

Keywords:  CREB3; Calcium; Cellular Respiration; Homeostasis; Mitochondria; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2023.01.001
Commun Biol. 2023 Jan 12. 6(1): 22

OxPhos defects cause hypermetabolism and reduce lifespan in cells and in patients with mitochondrial diseases.

Gabriel Sturm, Kalpita R Karan, Anna S Monzel, Balaji Santhanam, Tanja Taivassalo, Céline Bris, Sarah A Ware, Marissa Cross, Atif Towheed, Albert Higgins-Chen, Meagan J McManus, Andres Cardenas, Jue Lin, Elissa S Epel, Shamima Rahman, John Vissing, Bruno Grassi, Morgan Levine, Steve Horvath, Ronald G Haller, Guy Lenaers, Douglas C Wallace, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Saeed Tavazoie, Vincent Procaccio, Brett A Kaufman, Erin L Seifert, Michio Hirano, Martin Picard.

Patients with primary mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) defects present with fatigue and multi-system disorders, are often lean, and die prematurely, but the mechanistic basis for this clinical picture remains unclear. By integrating data from 17 cohorts of patients with mitochondrial diseases (n = 690) we find evidence that these disorders increase resting energy expenditure, a state termed hypermetabolism. We examine this phenomenon longitudinally in patient-derived fibroblasts from multiple donors. Genetically or pharmacologically disrupting OxPhos approximately doubles cellular energy expenditure. This cell-autonomous state of hypermetabolism occurs despite near-normal OxPhos coupling efficiency, excluding uncoupling as a general mechanism. Instead, hypermetabolism is associated with mitochondrial DNA instability, activation of the integrated stress response (ISR), and increased extracellular secretion of age-related cytokines and metabokines including GDF15. In parallel, OxPhos defects accelerate telomere erosion and epigenetic aging per cell division, consistent with evidence that excess energy expenditure accelerates biological aging. To explore potential mechanisms for these effects, we generate a longitudinal RNASeq and DNA methylation resource dataset, which reveals conserved, energetically demanding, genome-wide recalibrations. Taken together, these findings highlight the need to understand how OxPhos defects influence the energetic cost of living, and the link between hypermetabolism and aging in cells and patients with mitochondrial diseases.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04303-x
J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2023 Jan 13. e23303

Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes dysfunction contributes to PARP-1-dependent cell death under oxidative stress in retinal precursor cells.

Yuting Yang, Jihong Wu, Wei Lu, Yiqin Dai, Youjia Zhang, Xinghuai Sun.

  Persistent poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) activation has proven detrimental and can lead to PARP-1-dependent cell death. Mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs) serve as essential hubs for many biological pathways, such as autophagy and mitochondria fission and fusion. This study aimed to alleviate the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 )-induced persistent PARP-1 activation and MAM dysregulation by the usage of a PARP-1 inhibitor. Results showed that receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 1 inhibitor (necrostatin-1) and PARP-1 inhibitor (olaparib) protected retinal precursor cells from H2 O2 -induced death, while a pan-caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) failed to protect R28 cells. Olaparib also alleviated H2 O2 -induced MAM dysregulation, as evidenced by decreased VDAC1/ITPR3 interactions and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential collapse. Additionally, olaparib also inhibited H2 O2 -induced autophagy. Inhibiting autophagic flux increased MAM signaling under both normal and oxidative conditions. Furthermore, H2 O2 treatment caused a reduction in the protein level of mitofusin-2 (MFN2) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mfn2 knockdown was found to further magnify MAM dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction under normal and oxidative conditions. Mfn2 overexpression surprisingly enhanced H2 O2 -induced MAM signaling and failed to rescue H2 O2 -induced mitochondrial dysfunction. These results indicate that MAMs probably serve as a membrane source for oxidative stress-associated autophagy. MAM dysregulation also contributed to H2 O2 -induced PARP-1-dependent cell death. However, more studies are required to decipher the link between the modulation of Mfn2 expression, changes in MAM integrity, and alterations in mitochondrial performances.

Keywords:  MAM; MFN2; Olaparib; PARP-1; hydrogen peroxide

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.23303
Nat Chem Biol. 2023 Jan 12.

Small molecule agonist of mitochondrial fusion repairs mitochondrial dysfunction.

Yingjie Guo, Huan Zhang, Chen Yan, Birong Shen, Yue Zhang, Xiangyang Guo, Sha Sun, Fan Yu, Jiayun Yan, Ronghe Liu, Qianping Zhang, Di Zhang, Haiyang Liu, Yang Liu, Yaoyao Zhang, Wenlei Li, Jiangyu Qin, He Lv, Zhaoxia Wang, Yun Yuan, Jie-Feng Yang, Ya-Ting Zhong, Song Gao, Bing Zhou, Lei Liu, Deling Kong, Xiaojiang Hao, Junjie Hu, Quan Chen.

Membrane dynamics are important to the integrity and function of mitochondria. Defective mitochondrial fusion underlies the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. The ability to target fusion highlights the potential to fight life-threatening conditions. Here we report a small molecule agonist, S89, that specifically promotes mitochondrial fusion by targeting endogenous MFN1. S89 interacts directly with a loop region in the helix bundle 2 domain of MFN1 to stimulate GTP hydrolysis and vesicle fusion. GTP loading or competition by S89 dislodges the loop from the GTPase domain and unlocks the molecule. S89 restores mitochondrial and cellular defects caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations, oxidative stress inducer paraquat, ferroptosis inducer RSL3 or CMT2A-causing mutations by boosting endogenous MFN1. Strikingly, S89 effectively eliminates ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced mitochondrial damage and protects mouse heart from I/R injury. These results reveal the priming mechanism for MFNs and provide a therapeutic strategy for mitochondrial diseases when additional mitochondrial fusion is beneficial.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-022-01224-y
J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2023 Jan 09. 1-10

Signaling landscape of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs.

Gnanavel Mutharasu, Akshaya Murugesan, Saravnan Kondamani, Ramesh Thiyagarajan, Olli Yli-Harja, Meenakshisundaram Kandhavelu.

  Human mitochondria are the vital cell organelle acting as a storehouse of energy generation and diverse regulatory functions. Mitochondrial DNA comprises 93% coding region and 7% non-coding regions, in which the non-coding region hypothesized as responsible for signaling is our specific interest. Here, we explored the unknown functions of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs by studying their respective signaling pathways. We retrieved conserved motifs of interactions from known experimental protein-RNA complexes to model unknown mitochondrial ncRNA sequences. Our results provide the ncRNAs list and show their involvement in four crucial pathways, such as (i) Processing of Capped Intron-Containing Pre-mRNA, (ii) Spliceosome, (iii) Spliceosomal assembly, and (iv) RNA Polymerase II Transcription, respectively. The interactome analysis revealed that the SRSF2 and U2AF2 proteins interact with ncRNAs. Further, we have simulated the selected ncRNA-protein complexes in cell-like environmental conditions and found them stable in terms of energetics. Through our study, we have identified an apparent interaction of mitochondrial ncRNAs with proteins and their role in critical signaling pathways, providing new insights into mitochondrial ncRNA-dependent gene regulation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Keywords:  Nucleic acids; gene regulation; interactions networks; pathways; signaling

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2022.2164520
Free Radic Biol Med. 2023 Jan 10. pii: S0891-5849(23)00010-2. [Epub ahead of print]

Characterization of mitochondrial and metabolic alterations induced by trisomy 21 during neural differentiation.

Kendra M Prutton, John O Marentette, Kenneth N Maclean, James R Roede.

Cellular redox state directs differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) by energy metabolism control and ROS generation. As oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been extensively reported in Down syndrome (DS), we evaluated mitochondrial phenotypes and energy metabolism during neural differentiation of DS iPSCs to neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Our results indicate early maturation of mitochondrial networks and elevated NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) expression in DS iPSCs. DS cells also fail to transition from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation during differentiation. Specifically, DS NPCs show an increased energetic demand that is limited in their mitochondrial and glycolytic response to mitochondrial distress. Additionally, DS iPSC and NPC non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption was significantly impacted by NOX inhibition. Together, these data build upon previous evidence of accelerated neural differentiation in DS that correlates with cellular redox state. We demonstrate the potential for mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial ROS sources to impact differentiation timing in the context of DS, which could contribute to developmental deficits in this condition.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.01.009
SLAS Discov. 2023 Jan 03. pii: S2472-5552(22)13716-0. [Epub ahead of print]

High-content phenotypic screen to identify small molecule enhancers of Parkin-dependent ubiquitination and mitophagy.

Roberta Tufi, Emily H Clark, Tamaki Hoshikawa, Christiana Tsagkaraki, Jack Stanley, Kunitoshi Takeda, James M Staddon, Thomas Briston.

  Mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant mitochondrial homeostasis are key aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathophysiology. Mutations in PINK1 and Parkin proteins lead to autosomal recessive PD, suggesting that defective mitochondrial clearance via mitophagy is key in PD etiology. Accelerating the identification and/or removal of dysfunctional mitochondria could therefore provide a disease-modifying approach to treatment. To that end, we performed a high-content phenotypic screen (HCS) of ∼125,000 small molecules to identify compounds that positively modulate mitochondrial accumulation of the PINK1-Parkin-dependent mitophagy initiation marker p-Ser65-Ub in Parkin haploinsufficiency (Parkin +/R275W) human fibroblasts. Following confirmatory counter-screening and orthogonal assays, we selected compounds of interest that enhance mitophagy-related biochemical and functional endpoints in patient-derived fibroblasts. Identification of inhibitors of the ubiquitin-specific peptidase and negative regulator of mitophagy USP30 within our hits further validated our approach. The compounds identified provide a novel starting point for further investigation and optimisation.

Keywords:  PINK1; Parkin; Parkinson's disease; USP30; high-content screening; mitophagy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slasd.2022.12.004
Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 06. 14(1): 108

Disruption of mitochondrial dynamics triggers muscle inflammation through interorganellar contacts and mitochondrial DNA mislocation.

Andrea Irazoki, Isabel Gordaliza-Alaguero, Emma Frank, Nikolaos Nikiforos Giakoumakis, Jordi Seco, Manuel Palacín, Anna Gumà, Lykke Sylow, David Sebastián, Antonio Zorzano.

Some forms of mitochondrial dysfunction induce sterile inflammation through mitochondrial DNA recognition by intracellular DNA sensors. However, the involvement of mitochondrial dynamics in mitigating such processes and their impact on muscle fitness remain unaddressed. Here we report that opposite mitochondrial morphologies induce distinct inflammatory signatures, caused by differential activation of DNA sensors TLR9 or cGAS. In the context of mitochondrial fragmentation, we demonstrate that mitochondria-endosome contacts mediated by the endosomal protein Rab5C are required in TLR9 activation in cells. Skeletal muscle mitochondrial fragmentation promotes TLR9-dependent inflammation, muscle atrophy, reduced physical performance and enhanced IL6 response to exercise, which improved upon chronic anti-inflammatory treatment. Taken together, our data demonstrate that mitochondrial dynamics is key in preventing sterile inflammatory responses, which precede the development of muscle atrophy and impaired physical performance. Thus, we propose the targeting of mitochondrial dynamics as an approach to treating disorders characterized by chronic inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35732-1
Toxicol In Vitro. 2023 Jan 05. pii: S0887-2333(23)00001-2. [Epub ahead of print] 105552

Mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1) inhibits proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the NF-κB pathway in thyroid cancer cells.

Lin Zhang, Lei Sun, Lirong Wang, Juan Wang, Dan Wang, Jue Jiang, Jinhui Zhang, Qi Zhou.

  Excessively fragmented mitochondria have been reported in thyroid cancer (TC). Mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1), a putative inhibitor of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), prevents mitochondrial fission and thereby restricts cell proliferation across several types of primary cancer. However, the role of mdivi-1 on TC has not been sufficiently studied. This research is intended to explore the therapeutic effect of mdivi-1 in TC cells. Results demonstrated that highly invasive TC cells displayed excessive mitochondrial fission with more fragmented mitochondria. Treatment with mdivi-1 inhibited mitochondrial fission in 8505C cells as indicated by transmission electron microscope (TEM). It also impaired the proliferation and increased apoptosis in 8505C and K1 cells as shown by plate cloning assay, cell viability assay, and apoptosis assay. Mdivi-1 treatment also attenuated migratory and invasive abilities in 8505C and K1 cells as shown by the transwell assay and wound healing assay. And we noticed the same inhibition of mdivi-1 in cell migration and cell viability after the knockdown of Drp1 in 8505C cells. This demonstrated that mdivi-1 exerts an anti-tumor effect independently of Drp1 in 8505C cells. Moreover, mdivi-1 treatment reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway in 8505C cells. The present findings demonstrate that mdivi-1 has a therapeutic role in thyroid carcinoma.

Keywords:  Drp1; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Mdivi-1; Mitochondrial fission; NF-κB pathway; Thyroid cancer

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105552
J Cell Sci. 2023 Jan 01. pii: jcs260705. [Epub ahead of print]136(1):

Microtubule-mitochondrial attachment facilitates cell division symmetry and mitochondrial partitioning in fission yeast.

Leeba Ann Chacko, Felix Mikus, Nicholas Ariotti, Gautam Dey, Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan.

  Association with microtubules inhibits the fission of mitochondria in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here, we show that this attachment of mitochondria to microtubules is an important cell-intrinsic factor in determining cell division symmetry. By comparing mutant cells that exhibited enhanced attachment and no attachment of mitochondria to microtubules (Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ, respectively), we show that microtubules in these mutants displayed aberrant dynamics compared to wild-type cells, which resulted in errors in nuclear positioning. This translated to cell division asymmetry in a significant proportion of both Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ cells. Asymmetric division in Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ cells resulted in unequal distribution of mitochondria, with the daughter cell that received more mitochondria growing faster than the other daughter cell. Taken together, we show the existence of homeostatic feedback controls between mitochondria and microtubules in fission yeast, which directly influence mitochondrial partitioning and, thereby, cell growth. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Keywords:  Cell division; Microtubules; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial partitioning

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.260705
Cell Death Discov. 2023 Jan 13. 9(1): 6

Cancer-associated fibroblasts induce growth and radioresistance of breast cancer cells through paracrine IL-6.

Zhaoze Guo, Han Zhang, Yiming Fu, Junjie Kuang, Bei Zhao, LanFang Zhang, Jie Lin, Shuhui Lin, Dehua Wu, Guozhu Xie.

In breast cancer, the most numerous stromal cells are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are associated with disease progression and chemoresistance. However, few studies have explored the function of CAFs in breast cancer cell radiosensitivity. Here, CAF-derived conditioned media was observed to induce breast cancer cell growth and radioresistance. CAFs secrete interleukin 6 (IL-6) which activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, thus promoting the growth and radioresistance of breast cancer cells. Treatment with an inhibitor of STAT3 or an IL-6 neutralizing antibody blocked the growth and radioresistance induced by CAFs. In in vivo mouse models, tocilizumab (an IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody) abrogated CAF-induced growth and radioresistance. Moreover, in breast cancer, a poor response to radiotherapy was associated with IL-6 and p-STAT3 expression. These results indicated that IL-6 mediates cross-talk between breast cancer cells and CAFs in the tumor microenvironment. Our results identified the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway as an important therapeutic target in breast cancer radiotherapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-023-01306-3
Nature. 2023 Jan 12.

Targeting TBK1 to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy.

Yi Sun, Or-Yam Revach, Seth Anderson, Emily A Kessler, Clara H Wolfe, Anne Jenney, Caitlin E Mills, Emily J Robitschek, Thomas G R Davis, Sarah Kim, Amina Fu, Xiang Ma, Jia Gwee, Payal Tiwari, Peter P Du, Princy Sindurakar, Jun Tian, Arnav Mehta, Alexis M Schneider, Keren Yizhak, Moshe Sade-Feldman, Thomas LaSalle, Tatyana Sharova, Hongyan Xie, Shuming Liu, William A Michaud, Rodrigo Saad-Beretta, Kathleen B Yates, Arvin Iracheta-Vellve, Johan K E Spetz, Xingping Qin, Kristopher A Sarosiek, Gao Zhang, Jong Wook Kim, Mack Y Su, Angelina M Cicerchia, Martin Q Rasmussen, Samuel J Klempner, Dejan Juric, Sara I Pai, David M Miller, Anita Giobbie-Hurder, Jonathan H Chen, Karin Pelka, Dennie T Frederick, Susanna Stinson, Elena Ivanova, Amir R Aref, Cloud P Paweletz, David A Barbie, Debattama R Sen, David E Fisher, Ryan B Corcoran, Nir Hacohen, Peter K Sorger, Keith T Flaherty, Genevieve M Boland, Robert T Manguso, Russell W Jenkins.

Despite the success of PD-1 blockade in melanoma and other cancers, effective treatment strategies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy are lacking1,2. We identified the innate immune kinase TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)3 as a candidate immune evasion gene in a pooled genetic screen4. Using a suite of genetic and pharmacologic tools across multiple experimental model systems, we confirm a role for TBK1 as an immune evasion gene. Targeting TBK1 enhances response to PD-1 blockade by lowering the cytotoxicity threshold to effector cytokines (TNFα/IFNγ). TBK1 inhibition in combination with PD-1 blockade also demonstrated efficacy using patient-derived tumour models, with concordant findings in matched patient-derived organotypic tumour spheroids (PDOTS) and matched patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Tumour cells lacking TBK1 are primed to undergo RIPK- and caspase-dependent cell death in response to TNFα/IFNγ in a JAK/STAT-dependent manner. Taken together, our results demonstrate that targeting TBK1 is a novel and effective strategy to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05704-6