- Author:
Fan CHEN
1
;
Jiebo CHEN
1
;
Jiacheng LIN
1
;
Anton V CHELTSOV
2
;
Lin XU
1
;
Ya CHEN
3
;
Zhiping ZENG
1
;
Liqun CHEN
1
;
Mingfeng HUANG
1
;
Mengjie HU
1
;
Xiaohong YE
1
;
Yuqi ZHOU
1
;
Guanghui WANG
1
;
Ying SU
1
;
Long ZHANG
4
;
Fangfang ZHOU
5
;
Xiao-Kun ZHANG
1
;
Hu ZHOU
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Apoptosis; drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; Enzyme Activation; drug effects; Humans; Ligands; Molecular Docking Simulation; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; genetics; metabolism; Oximes; metabolism; pharmacology; Protein Conformation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; metabolism; Pyrazoles; metabolism; pharmacology; Retinoid X Receptor alpha; chemistry; genetics; metabolism; Thiazoles; metabolism; pharmacology; Transcription, Genetic; drug effects; Transcriptional Activation; drug effects; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; metabolism
- From: Protein & Cell 2015;6(9):654-666
- CountryChina
- Language:English
- Abstract: Retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) and its N-terminally truncated version tRXRα play important roles in tumorigenesis, while some RXRα ligands possess potent anti-cancer activities by targeting and modulating the tumorigenic effects of RXRα and tRXRα. Here we describe NSC-640358 (N-6), a thiazolyl-pyrazole derived compound, acts as a selective RXRα ligand to promote TNFα-mediated apoptosis of cancer cell. N-6 binds to RXRα and inhibits the transactivation of RXRα homodimer and RXRα/TR3 heterodimer. Using mutational analysis and computational study, we determine that Arg316 in RXRα, essential for 9-cis-retinoic acid binding and activating RXRα transactivation, is not required for antagonist effects of N-6, whereas Trp305 and Phe313 are crucial for N-6 binding to RXRα by forming extra π-π stacking interactions with N-6, indicating a distinct RXRα binding mode of N-6. N-6 inhibits TR3-stimulated transactivation of Gal4-DBD-RXRα-LBD by binding to the ligand binding pocket of RXRα-LBD, suggesting a strategy to regulate TR3 activity indirectly by using small molecules to target its interacting partner RXRα. For its physiological activities, we show that N-6 strongly inhibits tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced AKT activation and stimulates TNFα-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells in an RXRα/tRXRα dependent manner. The inhibition of TNFα-induced tRXRα/p85α complex formation by N-6 implies that N-6 targets tRXRα to inhibit TNFα-induced AKT activation and to induce cancer cell apoptosis. Together, our data illustrate a new RXRα ligand with a unique RXRα binding mode and the abilities to regulate TR3 activity indirectly and to induce TNFα-mediated cancer cell apoptosis by targeting RXRα/tRXRα.