Peptide inhibitors of the anaphase promoting-complex that cause sensitivity to microtubule poison

PLoS One. 2018 Jun 8;13(6):e0198930. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198930. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

There is an interest in identifying Anaphase Promoting-Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) inhibitors that lead to sensitivity to microtubule poisons as a strategy for targeting cancer cells. Using budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, peptides derived from the Mitotic Arrest Deficient 2 (Mad2)-binding motif of Cell Division Cycle 20 (Cdc20) were observed to inhibit both Cdc20- and CDC20 Homology 1 (Cdh1)-dependent APC/C activity. Over expression of peptides in vivo led to sensitivity to a microtubule poison and, in a recovery from a microtubule poison arrest, delayed degradation of yeast Securin protein Precocious Dissociation of Sisters 1 (Pds1). Peptides with mutations in the Cdc20 activating KILR-motif still bound APC/C, but lost the ability to inhibit APC/C in vitro and lost the ability to induce sensitivity to a microtubule poison in vivo. Thus, an APC/C binding and activation motif that promotes mitotic progression, namely the Cdc20 KILR-motif, can also function as an APC/C inhibitor when present in excess. Another activator for mitotic progression after recovery from microtubule poison is p31comet, where a yeast predicted open-reading frame YBR296C-A encoding a 39 amino acid predicted protein was identified by homology to p31comet, and named Tiny Yeast Comet 1 (TYC1). Tyc1 over expression resulted in sensitivity to microtubule poison. Tyc1 inhibited both APC/CCdc20 and APC/CCdh1 activities in vitro and bound to APC/C. A homologous peptide derived from human p31comet bound to and inhibited yeast APC/C demonstrating evolutionary retention of these biochemical activities. Cdc20 Mad2-binding motif peptides and Tyc1 disrupted the ability of the co-factors Cdc20 and Cdh1 to bind to APC/C, and co-over expression of both together in vivo resulted in an increased sensitivity to microtubule poison. We hypothesize that Cdc20 Mad2-binding motif peptides, Tyc1 and human hp31 peptide can serve as novel molecular tools for investigating APC/C inhibition that leads to sensitivity to microtubule poison in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cdc20 Proteins / metabolism
  • Cdh1 Proteins / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Enzyme Assays
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Mad2 Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubules / drug effects
  • Microtubules / metabolism
  • Mitosis / drug effects
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Peptides / therapeutic use
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Tubulin Modulators / pharmacology
  • Tubulin Modulators / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CDC20 protein, S cerevisiae
  • CDH1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Cdc20 Proteins
  • Cdh1 Proteins
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • MAD2 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Mad2 Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome

Grants and funding

This work was funded by grants to SCS from the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST-103-2311-B-182-005), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPD1E0173) (CMRPD1F0352) (BMRPC59). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.