Hasan Hüseyin Kazan

Iron metabolism and drug resistance in cancer

Iron is an essential inorganic element for various cellular events. It is directly associated with cell proliferation and growth; therefore, it is expected that iron metabolism is altered in tumor cells which usually have rapid growth rates. The studies on iron metabolism of tumor cells have shown that tumor cells necessitated higher concentrations of iron and the genes of iron uptake proteins were highly over-expressed. However, there are limited number of studies on overall iron metabolism in drug-resistant tumor cells. In this article, we evaluated the studies reporting the relationship between drug resistance and iron metabolism and the utilization of this knowledge for the reversal of drug resistance. Also, the studies on iron-related cell death mechanism, ferroptosis, and its relation to drug resistance were reviewed. We focus on the importance of iron metabolism in drug-resistant cancer cells and how alterations in iron metabolism participate in drug-resistant phenotype.

Modulation of Estrogen Response Element-Driven Gene Expressions and Cellular Proliferation with Polar Directions by Designer Transcription Regulators

Estrogen receptor α (ERα), as a ligand-dependent transcription factor, mediates 17β-estradiol (E2) effects. ERα is a modular protein containing a DNA binding domain (DBD) and transcription activation domains (AD) located at the amino- and carboxyl-termini. The interaction of the E2-activated ERα dimer with estrogen response elements (EREs) of genes constitutes the initial step in the ERE-dependent signaling pathway necessary for alterations of cellular features. We previously constructed monomeric transcription activators, or monotransactivators, assembled from an engineered ERE-binding module (EBM) using the ERα-DBD and constitutively active ADs from other transcription factors. Monotransactivators modulated cell proliferation by activating and repressing ERE-driven gene expressions that simulate responses observed with E2-ERα. We reasoned here that integration of potent heterologous repression domains (RDs) into EBM could generate monotransrepressors that alter ERE-bearing gene expressions and cellular proliferation in directions opposite to those observed with E2-ERα or monotransactivators. Consistent with this, monotransrepressors suppressed reporter gene expressions that emulate the ERE-dependent signaling pathway. Moreover, a model monotransrepressor regulated DNA synthesis, cell cycle progression and proliferation of recombinant adenovirus infected ER-negative cells through decreasing as well as increasing gene expressions with polar directions compared with E2-ERα or monotransactivator. Our results indicate that an ‘activator’ or a ‘repressor’ possesses both transcription activating/enhancing and repressing/decreasing abilities within a chromatin context. Offering a protein engineering platform to alter signal pathway-specific gene expressions and cell growth, our approach could also be used for the development of tools for epigenetic modifications and for clinical interventions wherein multigenic de-regulations are an issue.

A systematic series of fluorescence chemosensors with multiple binding sites for Hg(II) based on pyrenyl-functionalized cyclotriphosphazenes and their application in live cell imaging

A systematic series of fluorescence chemosensors (1–3) having one, two and three-metal binding sites based on cyclotriphosphazene derivatives bearing bis-, tetra- and hexakis-2-(pyren-1-yl methylene amino) phenoxy units, respectively, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their sensing behaviors toward metal ions using UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. Upon the addition of Hg2+ in both the absence and presence of competitive metal ions, the chemosensors revealed highly selective and sensitive “turn-on” emission enhancement based on the combined effects of chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF), CN isomerization and intramolecular pyrene excimer formation, as well as a color change from yellowish to colorless, which was readily detected by the naked eye. According to the Job plot method, the complexation ratios of chemosensors (1–3) with Hg2+ were found to be 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 3 (ligand : metal), respectively, consistent with the proposed number of metal binding sites. Furthermore, the binding modes of chemosensors (1–3) with Hg2+ were supported by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The increasing complexation ratios from 1 : 1 to 1 : 3 for chemosensors (1–3) enabled proportionally decreasing values for the detection limit (LOD) with 0.223 μM, 0.114 μM and 0.050 μM, respectively. The cytotoxicity and fluorescence microscopy experiments also demonstrated that chemosensors (1–3) are non-cytotoxic, and can be used as fluorescence imaging sensors for Hg2+ in living cells.

Resistance to anticancer drugs permanently alters electrophoretic mobility of cancer cell lines

Electrophoretic mobility is a physical phenomenon defining the mobility of charged particles in a solution under applied electric field. As charged biological systems, living cells including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have been assessed in terms of electrophoretic mobility to decipher their electrochemical structure. Moreover, determination of electrophoretic mobility of living cancer cells have promoted the advance exploration of the nature of the cancer cells and separation of cancer cells from normal ones under applied electric field. However, electrophoretic mobility of drug‐resistant cells has not yet been examined. In the present study, we determined the electrophoretic mobility of drug‐resistant cancer cell lines for both suspension and adherent cells and compared with those of drug‐sensitive counterparts. We showed that resistance to anticancer drugs alters the electrophoretic mobility in a permanent manner, even lasting without any exposure to anticancer agents for a long time period. We also studied the cellular morphologies of adherent cells where the cellular invaginations and protrusions were increased in drug‐resistant adherent cells, which could be direct cause of altered surface charge and electrophoretic mobility as a result. These findings could be helpful in terms of understanding the electrophysiological and physicochemical background of drug resistance in cancer cells and developing systems to separate drug‐sensitive cells from drug‐resistant ones.

A novel photosensitizer based on a ruthenium(II) phenanthroline bis(perylenediimide) dyad: synthesis, generation of singlet oxygen and in vitro photodynamic therapy

In this study, a novel photosensitizer having two perylenediimide units and a phenanthroline ruthenium(II) coordination moiety (Ru-BP) has been developed for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer cells. This new compound was prepared via reactions of two newly designed molecules, namely, 5,6,12,13-tetrakis(4-(tert-butyl)phenoxy)-2-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-9-(4-hydroxyphenyl)anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10(2H,9H)-tetraone (P6) and a bis(2,2′-bipyridyl)-(4,7-dichlorophenanthroline)ruthenium(II) complex (7). The singlet oxygen production of P6 and Ru-BP was investigated by a chemical method using 1,3-diphenylisobenzofurane as a trap molecule. Additionally, photodynamic therapy efficacy of the novel Ru-BP complex and P6 was evaluated in vitro. Ru-BP significantly decreased the viability of human chronic myeloid leukemia cells under red light but not in the dark, pointing out that the complex, itself, was not cytotoxic and singlet oxygen formation was required for the initiation of cell death mechanisms. Thus, Ru-BP can be effectively used as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy, which makes the novel Ru-BP a promising singlet oxygen generator for further biological applications.

Dual function of programmed cell death 10 (PDCD10) in drug resistance

Drug resistance, a major challenge in cancer chemotherapy, is a result of several mechanistic alterations including resistance to apoptosis. Apoptosis is a well-controlled cell death mechanism which is regulated by several signaling pathways. Alterations in structure, function, and expression pattern of the proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis have been linked to drug resistance. Programmed Cell Death 10 (PDCD10) protein is recently associated with the regulation of cell survival and apoptosis. However, the role of PDCD10 in drug resistance has not been clearly established. Here, we aimed to figure out the role of PDCD10 in resistance to anti-cancer agents in different cell lines. We found that PDCD10 expression was cell- and anti-cancer agent-specific; down-regulated in doxorubicin- and docetaxel-resistant MCF7 cells while up-regulated in doxorubicin-resistant HeLa cells. Down-regulation of PDCD10 expression by siRNA in parental MCF7 cells increased the resistance while it increased sensitivity in doxorubicin-resistant HeLa cells. Similarly, over-expression of PDCD10 in parental HeLa cells increased the resistance to doxorubicin while it re-sensitized doxorubicin-resistant MCF7 cells. Moreover, the alterations in PDCD10 expression led to changes in caspase 3/7 activity and the levels of apoptosis-related genes. Our results point out a possible dual role of PDCD10 in drug resistance for the first time in the literature and emphasize PDCD10 as a novel target for reversal of drug resistance in cancer.

INPP4B (Inositol Polyphosphate-4-Phosphate Type II B)

Review on INPP4B, with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated.