Latest Publications

@article{mickova_skp2_2021,

title = {Skp2 and Slug Are Coexpressed in Aggressive Prostate Cancer and Inhibited by Neddylation Blockade.},

author = {Alena Mickova and Gvantsa Kharaishvili and Daniela Kurfurstova and Mariam Gachechiladze and Milan Kral and Ondrej Vacek and Barbora Pokryvkova and Martin Mistrik and Karel Soucek and Jan Bouchal},

doi = {10.3390/ijms22062844},

issn = {1422-0067},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-03-01},

journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},

volume = {22},

number = {6},

abstract = {Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in Western countries, and there is still an urgent need for a better understanding of PCa progression to inspire new treatment strategies. Skp2 is a substrate-recruiting component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, whose activity is regulated through neddylation. Slug is a transcriptional repressor involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which may contribute to therapy resistance. Although Skp2 has previously been associated with a mesenchymal phenotype and prostate cancer progression, the relationship with Slug deserves further elucidation. We have previously shown that a high Gleason score (≥8) is associated with higher Skp2 and lower E-cadherin expression. In this study, significantly increased expression of Skp2, AR, and Slug, along with E-cadherin downregulation, was observed in primary prostate cancer in patients who already had lymph node metastases. Skp2 was slightly correlated with Slug and AR in the whole cohort (Rs 0.32 and 0.37, respectively), which was enhanced for both proteins in patients with high Gleason scores (Rs 0.56 and 0.53, respectively) and, in the case of Slug, also in patients with metastasis to lymph nodes (Rs 0.56). Coexpression of Skp2 and Slug was confirmed in prostate cancer tissues by multiplex immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. The same relationship between these two proteins was observed in three sets of prostate epithelial cell lines (PC3, DU145, and E2) and their mesenchymal counterparts. Chemical inhibition of Skp2, but not RNA interference, modestly decreased Slug protein in PC3 and its docetaxel-resistant subline PC3 DR12. Importantly, chemical inhibition of Skp2 by MLN4924 upregulated p27 and decreased Slug expression in PC3, PC3 DR12, and LAPC4 cells. Novel treatment strategies targeting Skp2 and Slug by the neddylation blockade may be promising in advanced prostate cancer, as recently documented for other aggressive solid tumors.},

note = {Place: Switzerland},

keywords = {*Protein Processing, Androgen/genetics/metabolism, Antigens, Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology, Cadherins/genetics/metabolism, CD/genetics/metabolism, Cell Line, Cell Survival/drug effects, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27/genetics/metabolism, Cyclopentanes/pharmacology, Docetaxel/pharmacology, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Lymphatic Metastasis, Male, multiplex, NEDD8 Protein/*genetics/metabolism, neddylation, Neoplasm Grading, Neoplastic, PC-3 Cells, Post-Translational, Prostate cancer, Prostate/metabolism/pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms/*genetics/metabolism/pathology, Pyrimidines/pharmacology, Receptors, RNA, S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/*genetics/metabolism, Skp2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2), Slug, Small Interfering/genetics/metabolism, Snail Family Transcription Factors/*genetics/metabolism, Tumor},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{simeckova_high_2019,

title = {High Skp2 expression is associated with a mesenchymal phenotype and increased tumorigenic potential of prostate cancer cells.},

author = {Šárka Šimečková and Zuzana Kahounová and Radek Fedr and Ján Remšík and Eva Slabáková and Tereza Suchánková and Jiřina Procházková and Jan Bouchal and Gvantsa Kharaishvili and Milan Král and Petr Beneš and Karel Souček},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-42131-y},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-04-01},

journal = {Scientific reports},

volume = {9},

number = {1},

pages = {5695},

abstract = {Skp2 is a crucial component of SCF(Skp2) E3 ubiquitin ligase and is often overexpressed in various types of cancer, including prostate cancer (PCa). The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in PCa progression. The acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype that results in a cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype in PCa was described. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the expression and localization of Skp2 in clinical samples from patients with PCa, the association of Skp2 with EMT status, and the role of Skp2 in prostate CSC. We found that nuclear expression of Skp2 was increased in patients with PCa compared to those with benign hyperplasia, and correlated with high Gleason score in PCa patients. Increased Skp2 expression was observed in PCa cell lines with mesenchymal and CSC-like phenotype compared to their epithelial counterparts. Conversely, the CSC-like phenotype was diminished in cells in which SKP2 expression was silenced. Furthermore, we observed that Skp2 downregulation led to the decrease in subpopulation of CD44(+)CD24(-) cancer stem-like cells. Finally, we showed that high expression levels of both CD24 and CD44 were associated with favorable recurrence-free survival for PCa patients. This study uncovered the Skp2-mediated CSC-like phenotype with oncogenic functions in PCa.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {*Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, *Gene Expression Regulation, Animals, CD24 Antigen/genetics, Cell Line, Humans, Hyaluronan Receptors/genetics, Male, Mice, Neoplasm Grading, Neoplastic, Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism/*physiology, Nude, PC-3 Cells, Prostatic Neoplasms/*genetics/metabolism/physiopathology, S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins/*genetics, Tumor, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{kahounova_fibroblast_2018,

title = {The fibroblast surface markers FAP, anti-fibroblast, and FSP are expressed by cells of epithelial origin and may be altered during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.},

author = {Zuzana Kahounová and Daniela Kurfürstová and Jan Bouchal and Gvantsa Kharaishvili and Jiří Navrátil and Ján Remšík and Šárka Šimečková and Vladimír Študent and Alois Kozubík and Karel Souček},

doi = {10.1002/cyto.a.23101},

issn = {1552-4930 1552-4922},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-07-01},

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

volume = {93},

number = {9},

pages = {941–951},

abstract = {The identification of fibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts from human cancer tissue using surface markers is difficult, especially because the markers used currently are usually not expressed solely by fibroblasts, and the identification of fibroblast-specific surface molecules is still under investigation. It was aimed to compare three commercially available antibodies in the detection of different surface epitopes of fibroblasts (anti-fibroblast, fibroblast activation protein α, and fibroblast surface protein). The specificity of their expression, employing fibroblast cell lines and tumor-derived fibroblasts from breast and prostate tissues was investigated. Both the established fibroblast cell line HFF-1 and ex vivo primary fibroblasts isolated from breast and prostate cancer tissues expressed the tested surface markers to different degrees. Surprisingly, those markers were expressed also by permanent cell lines of epithelial origin, both benign and cancer-derived (breast-cell lines MCF 10A, HMLE and prostate-cell lines BPH-1, DU 145, and PC-3). The expression of fibroblast activation protein α increased on the surface of previously described models of epithelial cells undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in response to treatment with TGF-β1. To prove the co-expression of the fibroblast markers on cells of epithelial origin, we used freshly dissociated human prostate and breast cancer tissues. The results confirmed the co-expression of anti-fibroblast and fibroblast surface protein on CD31/CD45-negative/EpCAM-positive epithelial cells. In summary, our data support the findings that the tested fibroblast markers are not fibroblast specific and may be expressed also by cells of epithelial origin (e.g., cells undergoing EMT). Therefore, the expression of these markers should be interpreted with caution, and the combination of several epitopes for both positive (anti-fibroblast or fibroblast activation protein α) and negative (EpCAM) identification of fibroblasts from breast and prostate tumor tissues is advised. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.},

note = {Place: United States},

keywords = {anti-fibroblast, Biomarkers/*metabolism, Breast Neoplasms/metabolism, cancer-associated fibroblasts, Cell Line, Endopeptidases, Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule/metabolism, Epithelial Cells/metabolism, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/*physiology, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, Female, fibroblast activation protein α, fibroblast surface protein, Fibroblasts/*metabolism, Gelatinases/*metabolism, Humans, Leukocyte Common Antigens/metabolism, Male, Membrane Proteins/*metabolism, PC-3 Cells, Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism, Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism, Serine Endopeptidases/*metabolism, Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism, Tumor},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}