Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of proteins produced by cells in response to exposure to stressful conditions. They were first described in relation to heat shock, but are now known to also be expressed during other stresses including exposure to cold, UV light and during wound healing or tissue remodeling. Many members of this group perform chaperone functions by stabilizing new proteins to ensure correct folding or by helping to refold proteins that were damaged by the cell stress. This increase in expression is transcriptionally regulated. The dramatic upregulation of the heat shock proteins is a key part of the heat shock response and is induced primarily by heat shock factor (HSF). HSPs are found in virtually all living organisms, from bacteria to humans.
The 70 kilodalton heat shock proteins are a family of conserved ubiquitously expressed heat shock proteins. Proteins with similar structure exist in virtually all living organisms. Intracellularly localized Hsp70s are an important part of the cell's machinery for protein folding, performing chaperoning functions, and helping to protect cells from the adverse effects of physiological stresses. Additionally, membrane-bound Hsp70s have been identified as a potential target for cancer therapies and their extracellularly localized counterparts have been identified as having both membrane-bound and membrane-free structures.
Hsp90 is a chaperone protein that assists other proteins to fold properly, stabilizes proteins against heat stress, and aids in protein degradation. It also stabilizes a number of proteins required for tumor growth, which is why Hsp90 inhibitors are investigated as anti-cancer drugs.
Hop, occasionally written HOP, is an abbreviation for Hsp70-Hsp90 Organizing Protein. It functions as a co-chaperone which reversibly links together the protein chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90.
Topoisomerase inhibitors are chemical compounds that block the action of topoisomerases, which are broken into two broad subtypes: type I topoisomerases (TopI) and type II topoisomerases (TopII). Topoisomerase plays important roles in cellular reproduction and DNA organization, as they mediate the cleavage of single and double stranded DNA to relax supercoils, untangle catenanes, and condense chromosomes in eukaryotic cells. Topoisomerase inhibitors influence these essential cellular processes. Some topoisomerase inhibitors prevent topoisomerases from performing DNA strand breaks while others, deemed topoisomerase poisons, associate with topoisomerase-DNA complexes and prevent the re-ligation step of the topoisomerase mechanism. These topoisomerase-DNA-inhibitor complexes are cytotoxic agents, as the un-repaired single- and double stranded DNA breaks they cause can lead to apoptosis and cell death. Because of this ability to induce apoptosis, topoisomerase inhibitors have gained interest as therapeutics against infectious and cancerous cells.
Herbimycin is a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic that binds to Hsp90 and alters its function. Hsp90 client proteins play important roles in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell growth, cell survival, apoptosis, angiogenesis and oncogenesis.
Radicicol, also known as monorden, is a natural product that binds to Hsp90 and alters its function. HSP90 client proteins play important roles in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell growth, cell survival, apoptosis, angiogenesis and oncogenesis.
Heat shock 70 kDa protein 1, also termed Hsp72, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HSPA1A gene. As a member of the heat shock protein 70 family and a chaperone protein, it facilitates the proper folding of newly translated and misfolded proteins, as well as stabilize or degrade mutant proteins. In addition, Hsp72 also facilitates DNA repair. Its functions contribute to biological processes including signal transduction, apoptosis, protein homeostasis, and cell growth and differentiation. It has been associated with an extensive number of cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cell senescence and aging, and inflammatory diseases such as Diabetes mellitus type 2 and rheumatoid arthritis.
Heat shock protein HSP 90-alpha is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HSP90AA1 gene.
Heat shock protein 90kDa beta member 1 (HSP90B1), known also as endoplasmin, gp96, grp94, or ERp99, is a chaperone protein that in humans is encoded by the HSP90B1 gene.
Hsp90 co-chaperone Cdc37 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CDC37 gene. This protein is highly similar to Cdc 37, a cell division cycle control protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This protein is a HSP90 Co-chaperone with specific function in cell signal transduction. It has been shown to form complex with Hsp90 and a variety of protein kinases including CDK4, CDK6, SRC, RAF1, MOK, as well as eIF-2 alpha kinases. It is thought to play a critical role in directing Hsp90 to its target kinases.
Heat shock protein HSP 90-beta also called HSP90beta is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HSP90AB1 gene.
Prostaglandin E synthase 3 (cytosolic) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PTGES3 gene.
DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DNAJB1 gene.
Hsc70-interacting protein also known as suppression of tumorigenicity 13 (ST13) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ST13 gene.
Heat shock protein 75 kDa, mitochondrial is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAP1 gene.
Indolocarbazoles (ICZs) are a class of compounds that are under current study due to their potential as anti-cancer as well as antimicrobial drugs and the prospective number of derivatives and uses found from the basic backbone alone. First isolated in 1977, a wide range of structures and derivatives have been found or developed throughout the world. Due to the extensive number of structures available, this review will focus on the more important groups here while covering their occurrence, biological activity, biosynthesis, and laboratory synthesis.
A tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is a pharmaceutical drug that inhibits tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases are enzymes responsible for the activation of many proteins by signal transduction cascades. The proteins are activated by adding a phosphate group to the protein (phosphorylation), a step that TKIs inhibit. TKIs are typically used as anticancer drugs. For example, they have substantially improved outcomes in chronic myelogenous leukemia. They have also been used to treat other diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The GHKL domain is an evolutionary conserved protein domain. It is an ATPase domain found in several ATP-binding proteins such as histidine kinase, DNA gyrase B, topoisomerases, heat shock protein HSP90, phytochrome-like ATPases and DNA mismatch repair proteins.
An Hsp90 inhibitor is a substance that inhibits that activity of the Hsp90 heat shock protein. Since Hsp90 stabilizes a variety of proteins required for survival of cancer cells, these substances may have therapeutic benefit in the treatment of various types of malignancies. Furthermore, a number of Hsp90 inhibitors are currently undergoing clinical trials for a variety of cancers. Hsp90 inhibitors include the natural products geldanamycin, Retaspimycin hydrochloride and radicicol as well as semisynthetic derivatives 17-N-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG).
