Inhibition of Multifunctional Protein P32/C1QBP Promotes Cytostatic Effects in Colon Cancer Cells by Altering Mitogenic Signaling Pathways and Promoting Mitochondrial Damage

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2024 Mar 13

PMID 38473963

Authors

Carlos Alejandro Egusquiza-Alvarez

Angela Patricia Moreno-Londono

Eduardo Alvarado-Ortiz

Maria Del Pilar Ramos-Godinez

Miguel Angel Sarabia-Sanchez

Maria Cristina Castaneda-Patlan

Martha Robles-Flores

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The protein p32 (C1QBP) is a multifunctional and multicompartmental homotrimer that is overexpressed in many cancer types, including colon cancer. High expression levels of C1QBP are negatively correlated with the survival of patients. Previously, we demonstrated that C1QBP is an essential promoter of migration, chemoresistance, clonogenic, and tumorigenic capacity in colon cancer cells. However, the mechanisms underlying these functions and the effects of specific C1QBP protein inhibitors remain unexplored. Here, we show that the specific pharmacological inhibition of C1QBP with the small molecule M36 significantly decreased the viability rate, clonogenic capacity, and proliferation rate of different colon cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of the inhibitor of C1QBP were cytostatic and non-cytotoxic, inducing a decreased activation rate of critical pro-malignant and mitogenic cellular pathways such as Akt-mTOR and MAPK in RKO colon cancer cells. Additionally, treatment with M36 significantly affected the mitochondrial integrity and dynamics of malignant cells, indicating that p32/C1QBP plays an essential role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Altogether, our results reinforce that C1QBP is an important oncogene target and that M36 may be a promising therapeutic drug for the treatment of colon cancer.

Citing Articles

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