Latest Publications

@article{vondracek_role_2021,

title = {The Role of Metabolism in Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and their Non-genotoxic Modes of Action.},

author = {Jan Vondráček and Miroslav Machala},

doi = {10.2174/1389200221999201125205725},

issn = {1875-5453 1389-2002},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Current drug metabolism},

volume = {22},

number = {8},

pages = {584–595},

abstract = {Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of widely distributed environmental pollutants that have been primarily studied as genotoxic compounds. Their mutagenicity/genotoxicity largely depends on their oxidative metabolism leading to the production of dihydrodiol epoxide metabolites, as well as additional metabolites contributing to oxidative DNA damage, such as PAH quinones. However, both parental PAHs and their metabolites, including PAH quinones or hydroxylated PAHs, have been shown to produce various types of non-genotoxic effects. These include e.g., activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and/or additional nuclear receptors, activation of membrane receptors, including tyrosine kinases and G-protein coupled receptors, or activation of intracellular signaling pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinases, Akt kinase and Ca(2+)-dependent signaling. These pathways may, together with the cellular DNA damage responses, modulate cell proliferation, cell survival or cell-to-cell communication, thus contributing to the known carcinogenic effects of PAHs. In the present review, we summarize some of the known non-genotoxic effects of PAHs, focusing primarily on those that have also been shown to be modulated by PAH metabolites. Despite the limitations of the available data, it seems evident that more attention should be paid to the discrimination between the potential non-genotoxic effects of parental PAHs and those of their metabolites. This may provide further insight into the mechanisms of toxicity of this large and diverse group of environmental pollutants.},

note = {Place: Netherlands},

keywords = {Activation, AhR, Animals, Benzo[a]pyrene, Cell Proliferation, Cell Survival, cell-to-cell communication, DNA Damage, Environmental Pollutants/*pharmacokinetics/*toxicity, Humans, Metabolic, Mutagens/*pharmacokinetics/*toxicity, oxidative stress, PAH metabolism., Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/*pharmacokinetics/*toxicity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{verlande_metabolic_2018,

title = {Metabolic stress regulates ERK activity by controlling KSR-RAF heterodimerization.},

author = {Amandine Verlande and Michaela Krafčíková and David Potěšil and Lukáš Trantírek and Zbyněk Zdráhal and Moustafa Elkalaf and Jan Trnka and Karel Souček and Nora Rauch and Jens Rauch and Walter Kolch and Stjepan Uldrijan},

doi = {10.15252/embr.201744524},

issn = {1469-3178 1469-221X},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-02-01},

journal = {EMBO reports},

volume = {19},

number = {2},

pages = {320–336},

abstract = {Altered cell metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, and targeting specific metabolic nodes is considered an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. In this study, we evaluate the effects of metabolic stressors on the deregulated ERK pathway in melanoma cells bearing activating mutations of the NRAS or BRAF oncogenes. We report that metabolic stressors promote the dimerization of KSR proteins with CRAF in NRAS-mutant cells, and with oncogenic BRAF in BRAF(V600E)-mutant cells, thereby enhancing ERK pathway activation. Despite this similarity, the two genomic subtypes react differently when a higher level of metabolic stress is induced. In NRAS-mutant cells, the ERK pathway is even more stimulated, while it is strongly downregulated in BRAF(V600E)-mutant cells. We demonstrate that this is caused by the dissociation of mutant BRAF from KSR and is mediated by activated AMPK. Both types of ERK regulation nevertheless lead to cell cycle arrest. Besides studying the effects of the metabolic stressors on ERK pathway activity, we also present data suggesting that for efficient therapies of both genomic melanoma subtypes, specific metabolic targeting is necessary.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {*Protein Multimerization, *Stress, 14-3-3 Proteins/chemistry/metabolism, cell cycle arrest, Cell Cycle Checkpoints/genetics, Cell Line, Cell Survival, Enzyme Activation, Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/*metabolism, Glucose/metabolism, Glycolysis, GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics/metabolism, Humans, Melanoma, Melanoma/genetics/metabolism, Membrane Proteins/genetics/metabolism, metabolic stress, Mutation, Oxygen Consumption, Physiological, Protein Kinases/chemistry/genetics/*metabolism, raf Kinases/chemistry/genetics/*metabolism, RAF‐ERK signaling, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Tumor},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{fedr_automatic_2013,

title = {Automatic cell cloning assay for determining the clonogenic capacity of cancer and cancer stem-like cells.},

author = {Radek Fedr and Zuzana Pernicová and Eva Slabáková and Nicol Straková and Jan Bouchal and Michal Grepl and Alois Kozubík and Karel Souček},

doi = {10.1002/cyto.a.22273},

issn = {1552-4930 1552-4922},

year  = {2013},

date = {2013-05-01},

journal = {Cytometry. Part A : the journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology},

volume = {83},

number = {5},

pages = {472–482},

abstract = {The clonogenic assay is a well-established in vitro method for testing the survival and proliferative capability of cells. It can be used to determine the cytotoxic effects of various treatments including chemotherapeutics and ionizing radiation. However, this approach can also characterize cells with different phenotypes and biological properties, such as stem cells or cancer stem cells. In this study, we implemented a faster and more precise method for assessing the cloning efficiency of cancer stem-like cells that were characterized and separated using a high-speed cell sorter. Cell plating onto a microplate using an automatic cell deposition unit was performed in a single-cell or dilution rank mode by the fluorescence-activated cell sorting method. We tested the new automatic cell-cloning assay (ACCA) on selected cancer cell lines and compared it with the manual approach. The obtained results were also compared with the results of the limiting dilution assay for different cell lines. We applied the ACCA to analyze the cloning capacity of different subpopulations of prostate and colon cancer cells based on the expression of the characteristic markers of stem (CD44 and CD133) and cancer stem cells (TROP-2, CD49f, and CD44). Our results revealed that the novel ACCA is a straightforward approach for determining the clonogenic capacity of cancer stem-like cells identified in both cell lines and patient samples.},

note = {Place: United States},

keywords = {*Cell Proliferation, AC133 Antigen, Antigens, Biomarkers, CD/metabolism, Cell Adhesion Molecules/metabolism, Cell Line, Cell Survival, Colonic Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology, Flow Cytometry/*methods, Glycoproteins/metabolism, Humans, Hyaluronan Receptors/metabolism, In Vitro Techniques, Integrin alpha6/metabolism, Male, Neoplasm/metabolism, Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism/*pathology, Peptides/metabolism, Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology, Tumor, Tumor Stem Cell Assay/*methods, Tumor/metabolism},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{stika_mk-886_2006,

title = {MK-886 enhances tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced differentiation and apoptosis.},

author = {Jirí Stika and Jan Vondrácek and Jirina Hofmanová and Vladimír Simek and Alois Kozubík},

doi = {10.1016/j.canlet.2005.06.012},

issn = {0304-3835},

year  = {2006},

date = {2006-06-01},

journal = {Cancer letters},

volume = {237},

number = {2},

pages = {263–271},

abstract = {We investigated the role of the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced differentiation of human leukemic HL-60 cells using MK-886, an inhibitor of 5-LOX activating protein. MK-886 augmented cell cycle arrest and differentiation induced by TNF-alpha; however, both effects were probably 5-LOX-independent, because a general LOX inhibitor, NDGA, had no effect. Apoptosis was significantly elevated after combined TNF-alpha and MK-886 treatment, which could be partially associated with changes of Mcl-1 protein expression. NF-kappaB signalling or activation of JNKs were not modulated by MK-886. Thus, in addition to apoptosis, MK-886 can enhance TNF-alpha-induced differentiation.},

note = {Place: Ireland},

keywords = {*Apoptosis, Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase/metabolism, Cell Cycle, Cell Differentiation, Cell Line, Cell Survival, HL-60 Cells, Humans, Indoles/*pharmacology, Lipoxygenase Inhibitors/*pharmacology, Signal Transduction, Time Factors, Tumor, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*metabolism},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}