Inhibition of Cyclin F Promotes Cellular Senescence through Cyclin-dependent Kinase 1-mediated Cell Cycle Regulation

Objective Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma(KIRC)is a common renal malignancy that has a poor prognosis.As a member of the F box family,cyclin F(CCNF)plays an important regulatory role in normal tissues and tumors.However,the underlying mechanism by which CCNF promotes KIRC proliferation still remains unclear.Methods Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database to obtain gene expression and clinical prognosis data.The CCK8 assay,EdU assay,and xenograft assay were used to detect cell proliferation.The cell senescence and potential mechanism were assessed by SA-β-gal staining,Western blotting,as well as ELISA.Results Our data showed that CCNF was highly expressed in KIRC patients.Meanwhile,downregulation of CCNF inhibited cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro.Further studies showed that the reduction of CCNF promoted cell senescence by decreasing cyclin-dependent kinase 1(CDK1),increasing the proinflammatory factors interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-8,and then enhancing the expression of p21 and p53.Conclusion We propose that the high expression of CCNF in KIRC may play a key role in tumorigenesis by regulating cell senescence.Therefore,CCNF shows promise as a new biomarker to predict the clinical prognosis of KIRC patients and as an effective therapeutic target.

Expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A 16,tumour protein 53 and epidermal growth factor receptor in salivary gland carcinomas is not associated with oncogenic virus infection

It is known that human papillomavirus （HPV） infection can cause squamous cell neoplasms at several sites, such as cervix uteri carcinoma and oral squamous carcinoma. There is little information on the expression of HPV and its predictive markers in tumours of the major and minor salivary glands of the head and neck. We therefore assessed oral salivary gland neoplasms to identify associations between HPV and infection-related epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A （CDKN2A/p16） and tumour protein p53 （TP53）. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from oral salivary gland carcinomas （n=51） and benign tumours （n=26） were analysed by polymerase chain reaction （PCR） analysis for several HPV species, including high-risk types 16 and 18. Evaluation of EGFR, CDKN2A, TP53 and cytomegalovirus （CMV） was performed by immunohistochemistry. Epstein-Barr virus （EBV） was evaluated by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridisation. We demonstrated that salivary gland tumours are not associated with HPV infection. The expression of EGFR, CDKN2A and TP53 may be associated with tumour pathology but is not induced by HPV. CMV and EBV were not detectable. In contrast to oral squamous cell carcinomas, HPV, CMV and EBV infections are not associated with malignant or benign neoplastic lesions of the salivary glands.

Can cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors convert inoperable breast cancer relapse to operability? A case report

BACKGROUND Pathological complete response(pCR) is rare in hormone receptor-positive(HR+)HER2-negative breast cancer(BC) treated with either endocrine therapy(ET) or chemotherapy. Radical resection of locoregional relapse, although potentially curative in some cases, is challenging when the tumor invades critical structures.The oral cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in combination with ET has obtained a significant increase in objective response rates and progression-free survival in patients with advanced BC and is now being evaluated in the neoadjuvant setting. We present a clinical case of a patient with an inoperable locoregional relapse of HR+ HER2-negative BC who experienced p CR after treatment with palbociclib.CASE SUMMARY We report the clinical case of a 60-year-old patient who presented with an inoperable locoregional relapse of HR+, HER2-negative BC 10 years after the diagnosis of the primary tumor. During a routine follow-up visit, breast magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed a 4-cm lesion in the right subclavicular region, infiltrating the chest wall and extending to the subclavian vessels, but without bone or visceral involvement. Treatment was begun with palbociclib plus letrozole, converting the disease to operability over a period of 6 mo. Surgery was performed and a p CR achieved. Of note, during treatment the patient experienced a very uncommon toxicity characterized by burning tongue and glossodynia associated with dysgeusia, paresthesia, dysesthesia, and xerostomia. A reduction in the dose of palbociclib did not provide relief and treatment with the inhibitor was thus discontinued, resolving the tongue symptoms. Laboratory exams were unremarkable. Given that this was a late relapse, the tumor was classified asendocrine-sensitive, a condition associated with high sensitivity to palbociclib.CONCLUSION This case highlights the potential of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor plus ET combination to achieve pCR in locoregional relapse of BC, enabling surgical resection of a lesion initially considered inoperable.

Effects of retinoic acid on proliferation,phenotype and expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in TGF-β1-stimulated rat hepatic stellate cells

AIM To study the molecular mechanisms ofretinoic acid(RA)on proliferation andexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors(CKI),i.e.p16,p21 and p27 in cultured rathepatic stellate cells(HSC)stimulated withtransforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-β1).METHODS HSC were isolated from healthy ratlivers and cultured.After stimulated with1 mg/L TGF-β1,subcultured HSC were treatedwith or without 1 nmol/L RA.MTT assay,immunocytochemistry(ICC)for p16,p21,p27and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)protein,insitu hybridization(ISH)for retinoic acidreceptor beta 2(RAR-β2)and p16,p21 and p27mRNA and quantitative image analysis(partially)were performed.RESULTS RA inhibited HSC proliferation(41.50%,P【0.05),decreased the protein levelof α-SMA(55.09%,P【0.05),and induced HSCto express RAR-β2 mRNA.In addition,RAincreased the protein level of p16(218.75%,P【0.05)and induced p21 protein expression;meanwhile,p27 was undetectable by ICC in bothcontrol and RA-treated HSC.However,RA hadno influence on the mRNA levels of p16,p21 orp27 as determined by ISH.CONCLISION Up-regulation of p16 and p21 on post-transcriptional level may contribule, in part to RA inhibition of TGF-β1-initiated rat HSC activation in vitro.

Tumor suppressor protein C53 antagonizes checkpoint kinases to promote cyclin-dependent kinase 1 activation

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 （Cdkl）/cyclin B1 complex is the driving force for mitotic entry, and its activation is tightly regulated by the G2/M checkpoint. We originally reported that a novel protein C53 （also known as Cdk5rap3 and LZAP） potentiates DNA damage-induced cell death by modulating the G2/M checkpoint. More recently, Wang et al. （2007） found that C53/LZAP may function as a tumor suppressor by way of inhibiting NF-kB signaling. We re- port here the identification of C53 protein as a novel regulator of Cdkl activation. We found that knockdown of C53 protein causes delayed Cdkl activation and mitotic entry. During DNA damage response, activation of checkpoint kinase 1 and 2 （Chkl and Chk2） is partially inhibited by C53 overexpression. Intriguingly, we found that C53 inter- acts with Chkl and antagonizes its function. Moreover, a portion of C53 protein is localized at the centrosome, and centrosome-targeting C53 potently promotes local Cdkl activation. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that C53 is a novel negative regulator of checkpoint response. By counteracting Chkl, C53 promotes Cdkl activation and mitotic entry in both unperturbed cell-cycle progression and DNA damage response.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is required for suppressing D1-dependent signaling mediated through muscarinic 4 in isolated medium spiny neurons

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have demonstrated acetylcholine muscarinic 4(M4) receptor regulates DARPP-32 phosphorylation at Thr75 in isolated medium spiny neurons(MSNs),indicating antagonistic mechanism with D1 dependent signal cascade,but the exact molecular mechanisms remain unclearly.In this study,we investigated the roles of M4 receptor in modulation D1 dependent signal to integrate striatal DA inputs in isolated MSNs.METHODS(1)Lentivirus technology was employed to genetically knock down the M4 receptor of MSNs;(2) Apomorphine(APO),acts as a dopamine receptor agonist,while SCH23390,acts as a selective antagonist for D1,were used to study the pharmacologically profiles with D1 receptor stimulation or blockade,respectively.Then the no subtype-selective muscarinic agonist oxotremorine M(OX) were used to show that mAchRs activation,in order to dissect the particular function of M4,a selective M4 antagonist,MT3 was used;(3) Intracellular cAMP production of MSNs was measured by using time resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer detection method;(4) Laser confocal was used to explore the expression of M4 and D1 in MSNs;(5) Immunofluorescence cytochemistry and Western blotting were used to confirm the alteration of signaling molecular including P-CREB,DARPP-32 P-Thr34,DARPP-32 P-Thr75,cyclin-dependent kinase 5(CDK5) as wel as p25/35,which are involved in DA-dependent signaling modulations.RESULTS Firstly,TR-FRET assay revealed APO(10-2 mol·L^(-1))significantly increased the level of intracellular cAMP(vs control,n=3,P<0.01),also Western blotting results showed that APO(10-6 mol · L^(-1))increased DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation(vs control,n=3,P<0.01),and these effect were reversed by D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390(vs APO,n=3,P<0.01).Interestingly,we confirmed that OX(10-6 mol · L^(-1)) down-regulated APO-induced DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation(vs APO,n=3,P<0.01),due to its effects on DARPP-32 phosphorylation at Thr75.The results presented the antagonistic mechanism of mAchRs stimulation with D1 dependent signal cascade in MSNs.Meanwhile,OX(10-7,10-6 and10^(-5) mol·L^(-1)) stimulated DARPP-32 phosphorylation at Thr75,and simultaneously up regulated P25/35 and CDK5 activity(vs control,n=3,P<0.01) by using Western blotting assay.Furthermore,roscovitine(10^(-5) mol · L^(-1)),acts as a CDK5 inhibitor,suppressed CDK5 activity(vs control,n=10,P<0.01),and fully inhibited OX-induced DARPP-32 Thr75 phosphorylation(vs OX,n=10,P<0.01).More important,pretreated with roscovitine(10^(-5) mol·L^(-1)),the effect of APO on DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation was potentiated(vs APO,n=3,P<0.05).The result presented CDK5 is required in suppression of APO on DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation mediated through mAchRs stimulation.In addition,laser confocal results showed that the CDK5 up-regulation was mostly confined to MSNs co-expressing M4,which means that M4 participated in CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of DARPP-32 at Thr75.Consistently,immunofluorescence and Western blotting results confirmed that both genetic knockdown and pharmacologic inhibition of M4 receptors with MT3(10-7 mol · L^(-1)) down-regulated the OX-induced the expression of CDK5(vs OX,n=3,P<0.01) and P25/35(vs OX,n=3,P<0.01)in isolated MSNs.CONCLUSION M4 receptor may play an important role in antagonistic regulation D1 dependent signaling,in which CDK5 is required for suppressing D1-DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation in isolated medium spiny neurons.

Expression of cyclin-dependent kinases in HL-60 cells during differentiation induced by retinoic acid

This study was designed to investigate the relationship of the expression of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) with theeffects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the proliferation of HL-cells. HL-60 cells were treated with ATRA for 1-4 d. Then thecapacity of DNA Synthesis was evaluated with 3H-TdR incorporation and the expression of cyclin E, cyclin D, CDK2 and CDK4protein determined with immunocytochemical staining. In addition, the expression Of CDC2, CDK2 and CDK4 mRNA was deter-mined with in situ hybridization. It was found that ATRA suppressed the proliferation of HL-60 cells and decreased their capacityof DNA synthesis to result in a down-regulation of the expression of cyclin E, cyclin D and CDC2 without comcomittant suppressionon the expression of CDK2 and CDK4. It is concluded that the effects of ATRA on the proliferation of HL-60 cells may be relatedto the down-regulation of the expression of cyclin E, cyclin D and CDC2.

The Neuroprotective Effects of Cyclin-dependent Kinase-5 Inhibition in Mice with Niemann-Pick Disease Type C

In order to investigate the neuroprotective effects of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 （cdk-5） inhibition in mice with Niemarm-Pick disease type C （NPC） （npc^-/-）, recombinant adeno-associated virus （rAAV） carrying the small interfering RNA （siRNA） specific for cdk-5 gene was injected into 3-day-old npc^-/- mice intracerebroventricularly. The rAAV-GFP-injected age-matched npc^-/- mice and non-surgery age-matched npc^-/- mice were employed as controls （n=6-10/group）. From the 4th to 8th week after the treatment, mice were weighed, and evaluated for limb motor activity by using the coat hanger test once a week. Eight-week-old npc^-/- mice were sacrificed by decapitation, and brains were quickly dissected and halved sagittally. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and HE staining were used to evaluate the neuropathology in npc^-/- mice. The results showed that rAAV-cdk-5-siRNA-GFP significantly reduced the number of axonal spheroids, delayed the death of Purkinje neurons, ameliorated motor defects in npc^-/- mice, and significantly attenuated the hyperphosphorylation oftau proteins. These data suggested that inhibition of cdk-5 activity has neuroprotective effect on neurons in NPC mice.

Crosslink among cyclin-dependent kinase 9,ATP binding cassette transporter G2 and Beclin 1 in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer(CRC)ranks third in the number of cancers mainly because of the inability to diagnose it at an early stage.The pathogenesis of CRC is complicated,which is the result of the complex interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors.Currently,one of the main treatments for CRC is chemotherapy.But the primary cause of CRC treatment failure is drug resistance.The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 9(CDK9)was correlated with elevated autophagy levels in colon cancer,and high expression of CDK9 indicates a poor prognosis in CRC.The incidence of autophagy and the expressions of Beclin 1 and ATP binding cassette transporter G2 are different in left and right colon cancer,and autophagy may be involved in the occurrence of chemotherapy resistance.In this article,the roles of CDK9,ATP binding cassette transporter G2 and Beclin 1 in CRC were elucidated,emphasizing the linkages among them and providing potential therapeutic targets of CRC.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in brain cancer:current state and future directions

Cyclin-dependent kinases(CDKs)are important regulatory enzymes in the normal physiological processes that drive cell-cycle transitions and regulate transcription.Virtually all cancers harbour genomic alterations that lead to the constitutive activation of CDKs,resulting in the proliferation of cancer cells.CDK inhibitors(CKIs)are currently in clinical use for the treatment of breast cancer,combined with endocrine therapy.In this review,we describe the potential of CKIs for the treatment of cancer with specific focus on glioblastoma(GBM),the most common and aggressive primary brain tumour in adults.Despite intense effort to combat GBM with surgery,radiation and temozolomide chemotherapy,the median survival for patients is 15 months and the majority of patients experience disease recurrence within 6-8 months of treatment onset.Novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed for both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM patients.In this review,we summarise the current preclinical and clinical findings emphasising that CKIs could represent an exciting novel approach for GBM treatment.

Cyclin-dependent kinases-based synthetic lethality: Evidence, concept, and strategy

Synthetic lethality is a proven effective antitumor strategy that has attracted great attention.Large-scale screening has revealed many synthetic lethal genetic phenotypes,and relevant smallmolecule drugs have also been implemented in clinical practice.Increasing evidence suggests that CDKs,constituting a kinase family predominantly involved in cell cycle control,are synthetic lethal factors when combined with certain oncogenes,such as MFC,TP53,and RAS,which facilitate numerous antitumor treatment options based on CDK-related synthetic lethality.In this review,we focus on the synthetic lethal phenotype and mechanism related to CDKs and summarize the preclinical and clinical discoveries of CDK inhibitors to explore the prospect of CDK inhibitors as antitumor compounds for strategic synthesis lethality in the future.

Risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation in oncological patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors:A case report and literature analysis

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)reactivation(HBVr)represents a severe and potentially life-threatening condition,and preventive measures are available through blood test screening or prophylactic therapy administration.The assessment of HBVr traditionally considers factors such as HBV profile,including hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen,along with type of medication(chemotherapy;immunomodulants).Nevertheless,consideration of possible patient’s underlying tumor and the specific malignancy type(solid or hematologic)plays a crucial role and needs to be assessed for decision-making process.

Discovery of 4-Thiazol-N-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine as Novel Cyclin-dependent Kinases 4 and 6 Dual Inhibitors via 3D-QSAR and Molecular Simulation

Cyclin D dependent kinases 4/6 regulate the entry of cells into S phase and are effective target for the discovery of anticancer drugs.In this article,3D-QSAR modeling including comparative molecular field analy-sis(CoMFA)and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis fields(CoMSIA)was implemented on 52 dual CDK4/6 inhibitors.As a result,we obtained a pretty good 3D-QSAR model,which is CoMFACDK4 with q2 to be 0.543 and r^(2) to be 0.967;CoMSIACDK4 with q2 being 0.518 and r^(2) being 0.937;CoMFACDK6 with q2 to be 0.624 and r^(2) to be 0.984;CoMSIACDK6 with q2 being 0.584 and r^(2) being 0.975.Molecular docking confirmed the important residues for interactions.Molecular dynamics simulation further confirmed binding affinity with key residues of protein,such as Lys22,Lys35,Val96 for CDK4 and Lys43,His100,Val101 for CDK6 at the active sites.Then these results offered new directions to explore new inhibitors of CDK4/6.Finally,we designed 10 novel compounds with promising expected activity and ADME/T properties,and provided referable synthetic routes.

Radiosynthesis of N-^(11) C-meisoindigotin as a novel PET agent for imaging of cyclin-dependent kinases and GSK-3β

Meisoindigotin has been demonstrated as a new type of cancer chemotherapeutic agent.N-^（11）C-meisoindigotin was synthesized by N-^（11）C-methyIation of the isoindigotin precursor with ^（11）C-labelled methyl triflate.The decay corrected radiochemical yields were 15-25%,and the specific radioactivity was 1.0-1.2 Ci/μmol at the end of synthesis.The cellular uptake of[N-^（11）C]-meisoindigotin was evaluated in four different lung cancer cell lines.Our results showed that the A549,GLC-82,95D cell lines exhibited higher uptake than 95C cell line after incubation for 60 min.N-^（11）-meisoindigotin was a promising candidate for further development as a novel PET radiotracer for imaging of cyclin-dependent kinases（CDKs） and GSK-3β.

Human cytomegalovirus RNA2.7 inhibits RNA polymeraseⅡ(PolⅡ)Serine-2 phosphorylation by reducing the interaction between PolⅡand phosphorylated cyclin-dependent kinase 9(pCDK9)

Human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)is a ubiquitous pathogen belongs to betaherpesvirus subfamily.RNA2.7 is a highly conserved long non-coding RNA accounting for more than 20%of total viral transcripts.In our study,functions of HCMV RNA2.7 were investigated by comparison of host cellular transcriptomes between cells infected with HCMV clinical strain and RNA2.7 deleted mutant.It was demonstrated that RNA polymeraseⅡ(PolⅡ)-dependent host gene transcriptions were significantly activated when RNA2.7 was removed during infection.A145 nt-in-length motif within RNA2.7 was identified to inhibit the phosphorylation of PolⅡSerine-2(PolⅡS2)by reducing the interaction between PolⅡand phosphorylated cyclin-dependent kinase 9(pCDK9).Due to the loss of PolⅡS2 phosphorylation,cellular DNA pre-replication complex(pre-RC)factors,including Cdt1 and Cdc6,were significantly decreased,which prevented more cells from entering into S phase and facilitated viral DNA replication.Our results provide new insights of HCMV RNA2.7 functions in regulation of host cellular transcription.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor THZ1 in cancer therapy

Current cancer therapies have encountered adverse response due to poor therapeutic efficiency,severe side effects and acquired resistance to multiple drugs.Thus,there are urgent needs for finding new cancer-targeted pharmacological strategies.In this review,we summarized the current understanding with THZ1,a covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7(CDK7),which demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity against different cancer types.By introducing the anti-tumor behaviors and the potential targets for different cancers,this review aims to provide more effective approaches to CDK7 inhibitor-based therapeutic agents and deeper insight into the diverse tumor proliferation mechanisms.

Neuroprotective Effects of Tongmai Yizhi Decoction(通脉益智汤)against Alzheimer's Disease through Attenuating Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-5 Expression

Objectives： To explore the protective effects of Tongmai Yizhi Decoction（通脉益智汤, TYD）, a Chinese herb complex prescription against the impairment of cognitive functions and memory loss in amyloid beta 1–40（Aβ1-40） peptide and ibotenic（IBO）-induced Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） model rats. Methods： The in vivo model was established by injecting Aβ1-40 and IBO into left hippocampal CA1 area of Sprague-Dawley（SD） rat to mimic AD. Totally 32 SD rats were divided into 4 groups, including sham operation group, AD model group, TYD group [AD rats treated with TYD at the dosage of 19.44 g/（kg·d） for 4 weeks] and huperzine A group [AD rats treated with huperzine A at the dosage of 40.5 μg/（kg·d） for 4 weeks]. Spatial learning and memory level was detected by Morris Water Maze test. Histological morphology in the hippocampus was tested by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. Cyclin-dependent kinase-5（Cdk5） protein and gene expression level were investigated by Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-q PCR）, respectively. Results： Aβ1-40 and IBO treatment induced longer escape latency of rats, compared with sham operation group from day 25（P〈0.01）. However, TYD and huperzine A obviously shortened the escape latency from day 26（P〈0.01）. Moreover, the effect of TYD was similar to huperzine A（P〉0.05）. Furthermore, HE staining also showed that TYD and huperzine A reversed the neuropathological changes in the hippocampus triggered by Aβ1-40 and IBO. TYD and huperzine A effectively reduced the expression levels of Cdk5 protein and gene located in rat hippocampus, compared with the AD model group（P〈0.01）. Conclusion： TYD could be a promising neuroprotective agent for protecting neuron from AD injury through inhibiting Cdk5 expression.

A review on potential heterocycles for the treatment of glioblastoma targeting receptor tyrosine kinases

Glioblastoma,the most aggressive form of brain tumor,poses significant challenges in terms of treatment success and patient survival.Current treatment modalities for glioblastoma include radiation therapy,surgical intervention,and chemotherapy.Unfortunately,the median survival rate remains dishearteningly low at 12–15 months.One of the major obstacles in treating glioblastoma is the recurrence of tumors,making chemotherapy the primary approach for secondary glioma patients.However,the efficacy of drugs is hampered by the presence of the blood-brain barrier and multidrug resistance mechanisms.Consequently,considerable research efforts have been directed toward understanding the underlying signaling pathways involved in glioma and developing targeted drugs.To tackle glioma,numerous studies have examined kinase-downstream signaling pathways such as RAS-RAF-MEKERK-MPAK.By targeting specific signaling pathways,heterocyclic compounds have demonstrated efficacy in glioma therapeutics.Additionally,key kinases including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),serine/threonine kinase,cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase(CTK),receptor tyrosine kinase(RTK)and lipid kinase(LK)have been considered for investigation.These pathways play crucial roles in drug effectiveness in glioma treatment.Heterocyclic compounds,encompassing pyrimidine,thiazole,quinazoline,imidazole,indole,acridone,triazine,and other derivatives,have shown promising results in targeting these pathways.As part of this review,we propose exploring novel structures with low toxicity and high potency for glioma treatment.The development of these compounds should strive to overcome multidrug resistance mechanisms and efficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier.By optimizing the chemical properties and designing compounds with enhanced drug-like characteristics,we can maximize their therapeutic value and minimize adverse effects.Considering the complex nature of glioblastoma,these novel structures should be rigorously tested and evaluated for their efficacy and safety profiles.

Mouse KL2 is a unique MTSE involved in chromosome-based spindle organization and regulated by multiple kinases during female meiosis

Microtubule-severing enzymes(MTSEs)play important roles in mitosis and meiosis of the primitive organisms.However,their roles in mammalian female meiosis,which accounts for over 80%of gamete-originated human reproductive diseases,remain unexplored.In the current study,we reported that katanin-like 2(KL2)was the only MTSE concentrating at chromosomes.Furthermore,the knockdown of KL2 significantly reduced the chromosome-based increase in the microtubule(MT)polymer,increased aberrant kinetochore-MT(K-MT)attachment,delayed meiosis,and severely affected normal fertility.We demonstrated that the inhibition of aurora B,a key kinase for correcting aberrant K-MT attachment,significantly eliminated KL2 expression from chromosomes.Additionally,KL2 interacted with phosphorylated eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase,and they competed for chromosome binding.Phosphorylated KL2 was also localized at spindle poles,with its phosphorylation regulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.In summary,the current study reveals a novel function of MTSEs in mammalian female meiosis and demonstrates that multiple kinases coordinate to regulate the levels of KL2 at chromosomes.

Game changer:How Janus kinase inhibitors are reshaping the landscape of ulcerative colitis mana

Recent advancements in the treatment landscape of ulcerative colitis(UC)have ushered in a new era of possibilities,particularly with the introduction of Janus kinase(JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription inhibitors.These novel agents offer a paradigm shift in UC management by targeting key signaling pathways involved in inflammatory processes.With approved JAK inhibitors(JAKis),such as tofacitinib,filgotinib,and upadacitinib,clinicians now have powerful tools to modulate immune responses and gene expression,potentially revolutionizing the treatment algorithm for UC.Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of JAKis in inducing and maintaining remission,presenting viable options for patients who have failed conventional therapies.Real-world data support the use of JAKis not only as first-line treatments but also in subsequent lines of therapy,particularly in patients with aggressive disease phenotypes or refractory to biologic agents.The rapid onset of action and potency of JAKis have broadened the possibilities in the management strategies of UC,offering timely relief for patients with active disease and facilitating personalized treatment approaches.Despite safety concerns,including cardiovascular risks and infections,ongoing research and post-marketing surveillance will continue to refine our understanding of the risk-benefit profile of JAKis in UC management.