The endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle with multiple functions. The synthesis of transmembrane proteins and proteins that are to be secreted occurs in this organelle. Many conditions that impose stress on cells, including hypoxia, starvation, infections and changes in secretory needs, challenge the folding capacity of the cell and promote endoplasmic reticulum stress. The cellular response involves the activation of sensors that transduce signaling cascades with the aim of restoring homeostasis. This is known as the unfolded protein response, which also intersects with the integrated stress response that reduces protein synthesis through inactivation of the initiation factor eIF2α. Central to the unfolded protein response are the sensors PERK, IRE1 and ATF6, as well as other signaling nodes such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK) and the downstream transcription factors XBP1, ATF4 and CHOP. These proteins aim to restore homeostasis, but they can also induce cell death, which has been shown to occur by necroptosis and, more commonly, through the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins (Bim, Noxa and Puma) that leads to mitochondrial apoptosis. In addition, endoplasmic reticulum stress and proteotoxic stress have been shown to induce TRAIL receptors and activation of caspase-8. Endoplasmic reticulum stress is a common feature in the pathology of numerous diseases because it plays a role in neurodegeneration, stroke, cancer, metabolic diseases and inflammation. Understanding how cells react to endoplasmic reticulum stress can accelerate discovery of drugs against these diseases.

https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/febs.13598

Cell death induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

PUMA (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis) is a Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3)-only Bcl-2 family member and a critical mediator of p53-dependent and -independent apoptosis induced by a wide variety of stimuli, including genotoxic stress, deregulated oncogene expression, toxins, altered redox status, growth factor/cytokine withdrawal and infection. It serves as a proximal signaling molecule whose expression is regulated by transcription factors in response to these stimuli. PUMA transduces death signals primarily to the mitochondria, where it acts indirectly on the Bcl-2 family members Bax and/or Bak by relieving the inhibition imposed by antiapoptotic members. It directly binds and antagonizes all known antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation. PUMA ablation or inhibition leads to apoptosis deficiency underlying increased risks for cancer development and therapeutic resistance. Although elevated PUMA expression elicits profound chemo- and radiosensitization in cancer cells, inhibition of PUMA expression may be useful for curbing excessive cell death associated with tissue injury and degenerative diseases. Therefore, PUMA is a general sensor of cell death stimuli and a promising drug target for cancer therapy and tissue damage.

PUMA, a potent killer with or without p53

When ER stress reaches a dead end.

// Karin Hientz 1 , Andre Mohr 1 , Dipita Bhakta-Guha 2 and Thomas Efferth 1 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany 2 School of Chemical and Bio Technology, SASTRA University, Tamil Nadu, India Correspondence to: Thomas Efferth, email: // Keywords : cytotoxic chemotherapy, drug resistance, medicinal chemistry, prognostic factors, targeted chemotherapy Received : July 10, 2016 Accepted : October 13, 2016 Published : November 19, 2016 Abstract Cancer has long been a grievous disease complicated by innumerable players aggravating its cure. Many clinical studies demonstrated the prognostic relevance of the tumor suppressor protein p53 for many human tumor types. Overexpression of mutated p53 with reduced or abolished function is often connected to resistance to standard medications, including cisplatin, alkylating agents (temozolomide), anthracyclines, (doxorubicin), antimetabolites (gemcitabine), antiestrogenes (tamoxifen) and EGFR-inhibitors (cetuximab). Such mutations in the TP53 gene are often accompanied by changes in the conformation of the p53 protein. Small molecules that restore the wild-type conformation of p53 and, consequently, rebuild its proper function have been identified. These promising agents include PRIMA-1, MIRA-1, and several derivatives of the thiosemicarbazone family. In addition to mutations in p53 itself, p53 activity may be also be impaired due to alterations in p53’s regulating proteins such as MDM2. MDM2 functions as primary cellular p53 inhibitor and deregulation of the MDM2/p53-balance has serious consequences. MDM2 alterations often result in its overexpression and therefore promote inhibition of p53 activity. To deal with this problem, a judicious approach is to employ MDM2 inhibitors. Several promising MDM2 inhibitors have been described such as nutlins, benzodiazepinediones or spiro-oxindoles as well as novel compound classes such as xanthone derivatives and trisubstituted aminothiophenes. Furthermore, even naturally derived inhibitor compounds such as α-mangostin, gambogic acid and siladenoserinols have been discovered. In this review, we discuss in detail such small molecules that play a pertinent role in affecting the p53-MDM2 signaling axis and analyze their potential as cancer chemotherapeutics.

https://www.oncotarget.com/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=download&path%5B%5D=13475&path%5B%5D=42738

The role of p53 in cancer drug resistance and targeted chemotherapy

The role of MAPK signalling pathways in the response to endoplasmic reticulum stress

We have previously shown that most melanoma cell lines are insensitive to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis, and this involves activation of the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK)/ERK signaling pathway and expression of the apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) protein in the cells. In the present study, we show that up-regulation of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1 is another mechanism critical for protection of melanoma cells against ER stress-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of Mcl-1 by small interference RNA (siRNA) rendered melanoma cells sensitive to apoptosis induced by the ER stress inducers thapsigargin and tunicamycin, but this sensitization was partially reversed by siRNA knockdown of PUMA or Noxa, as shown in Mcl-1-deficient melanoma cells. Both PUMA and Noxa were increased by ER stress through transcriptional up-regulation, but only up-regulation of Noxa was dependent on p53, whereas up-regulation of PUMA seemed to be mediated by a p53-independent mechanism(s). Up-regulation of Mcl-1 was also due to increased transcription that involved the IRE1alpha and activating transcription factor 6 signaling pathways of the unfolded protein response. In addition, activation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway seemed to be necessary for optimal up-regulation of Mcl-1. Taken together, these results reveal the mechanisms of resistance of melanoma cells to apoptosis induction mediated by BH3-only proteins upon ER stress, and identify Mcl-1 as a target for the treatment of melanoma in combination with therapeutics that induce ER stress.

https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/68/16/6708.full.pdf

Charles E. deBock

Papers

Up-regulation of Mcl-1 Is Critical for Survival of Human Melanoma Cells upon Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress