Plausible, robust biological oscillations through allelic buffering.

Biological oscillators can specify time- and dose-dependent functions via dedicated control of their oscillatory dynamics. However, how biological oscillators, which recurrently activate noisy biochemical processes, achieve robust oscillations remains unclear. Here, we characterize the long-term oscillations of p53 and its negative feedback regulator Mdm2 in single cells after DNA damage.

Enhanced DNA repair through droplet formation and p53 oscillations.

Living organisms are constantly exposed to DNA damage, and optimal repair is therefore crucial. A characteristic hallmark of the response is the formation of sub-compartments around the site of damage, known as foci. Following multiple DNA breaks, the transcription factor p53 exhibits oscillations in its nuclear concentration, but how this dynamics can affect the repair remains unknown.

Functional buffering via cell-specific gene expression promotes tissue homeostasis and cancer robustness.

Functional buffering that ensures biological robustness is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis, organismal survival, and evolution of novelty. However, the mechanism underlying functional buffering, particularly in multicellular organisms, remains largely elusive. Here, we proposed that functional buffering can be mediated via expression of buffering genes in specific cells and tissues, by which we named Cell-specific Expression-BUffering (CEBU).

Canagliflozin inhibits growth of hepatocellular carcinoma via blocking glucose-influx-induced β-catenin activation.

Accelerated glucose metabolism is critical in hepatocarcinogenesis, but the utilities of different glucose transporter inhibitors in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, we examined a collection of glucose transporter inhibitors and found differential anti-HCC effects among these compounds. Canagliflozin (CANA), phloretin, and WZB117 decreased cellular glucose influx, but only CANA showed potent growth inhibition in HCC, which indicated a glucose-independent anti-HCC mechanism.

Palbociclib enhances radiosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma via inhibiting ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase-mediated DNA damage response.

Aim: Palbociclib is an oral cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, which is efficacious in treating breast cancer. Currently, there are numerous active clinical trials testing palbociclib alone or in combination with other medications for treating various types of malignancies. Here, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect of palbociclib in combination with radiation therapy (RT) for treating human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and addressed the molecular mechanism behind the combination therapy.

Antagonizing SET Augments the Effects of Radiation Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through Reactivation of PP2A-Mediated Akt Downregulation.

Increasing evidence suggests that SET functions as an oncoprotein and promotes cancer survival and therapeutic resistance. However, whether SET affects radiation therapy (RT)-mediated anticancer effects has not yet been explored. We investigated the impact of SET on RT sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Inhibition of protein phosphatase 5 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer through AMP-activated kinase activation.

Objectives: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be the top cause of cancer death. To improve the treatment of lung cancer, there is necessity to identify novel oncogenes and investigate their effects on lung carcinogenesis. Protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) has long been known to regulate stress-induced apoptosis and cell proliferation.

Protein phosphatase 5 promotes hepatocarcinogenesis through interaction with AMP-activated protein kinase.

The serine-threonine protein phosphatase family members are known as critical regulators of various cellular functions, such as survival and transformation. Growing evidence suggests that pharmacological manipulation of phosphatase activity exhibits therapeutic benefits. Ser/Thr protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) is known to participate in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and stress-induced signaling cascades that regulate cell growth and apoptosis, and has been shown to be overexpressed in various human malignant diseases.

Palbociclib induces activation of AMPK and inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma in a CDK4/6-independent manner.

Palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, has recently been approved for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients. The effects of palbociclib as a treatment for other malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are of great clinical interest and are under active investigation. Here, we report the effects and a novel mechanism of action of palbociclib in HCC.

Carfilzomib induces leukaemia cell apoptosis via inhibiting ELK1/KIAA1524 (Elk-1/CIP2A) and activating PP2A not related to proteasome inhibition.

Enhancing the tumour suppressive activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) has been suggested to be an anti-leukaemic strategy. KIAA1524 (also termed CIP2A), an oncoprotein inhibiting PP2A, is associated with disease progression in chronic myeloid leukaemia and may be prognostic in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia. Here we demonstrated that the selective proteasome inhibitor, carfilzomib, induced apoptosis in sensitive primary leukaemia cells and in sensitive leukaemia cell lines, associated with KIAA1524 protein downregulation, increased PP2A activity and decreased p-Akt, but not with the proteasome inhibition effect of carfilzomib.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B targets PITX1/p120RasGAP thus showing therapeutic potential in colorectal carcinoma.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is known to promote the pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity by negatively regulating insulin and leptin pathways, but its role associated with colon carcinogenesis is still under debate. In this study, we demonstrated the oncogenic role of PTP1B in promoting colon carcinogenesis and predicting worse clinical outcomes in CRC patients. By co-immunoprecipitation, we showed that PITX1 was a novel substrate of PTP1B.

The transcriptional repression activity of STAF65γ is facilitated by promoter tethering and nuclear import of class IIa histone deacetylases.

Aberrant expression levels of transcriptional regulators result in alterations in transcriptional control. STAF65γ is a structural subunit of the GCN5 transcriptional co-activator complex. Reports showed that STAF65γ is highly expressed in several human cancer cells, but the consequences of this aberrant expression pattern remain elusive.