Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: A Novel Potent and Selective GCN2 Inhibitor, APL-4098, Has Antileukemic Activity through Dysregulation of Mitochondrial Function

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-1444

Figure Lengend Snippet: APL-4098 is a potent inhibitor of GCN2. A, APL-4098 molecular structure. B, Crystal structure of APL-4098 bound to human GCN2. Backbone of the GCN2 catalytic site (blue ribbon) and binding of APL-4098, with the extensive interaction network in the ATP site shown with dashed red lines (hydrogen bonds) and yellow lines (hydrophobic contacts). C, Biochemical, ADME, and PK profile of APL-4098. *All data generated from a rat intravenous/oral study: 1 mg/kg i.v. and 3 mg/kg orally. 1 Data generated from the i.v. study and 2 data generated from the oral study. D, APL-4098 inhibition of GCN2 kinase activity, measured as the level of eIF2α phosphorylation, using LanthaScreen FRET-based assay. Plot shows mean ± SEM from three representative experiments conducted in duplicate. E, U2OS cells were treated with APL-4098 in the presence or absence of borrelidin as indicated for 4 hours. Cell lysates were analyzed for phosphorylation of eIF2α using HTRF assay. Plot shows mean ± SEM from four individual experiments conducted in duplicate. F, U2OS cells were grown in glutamine-depleted medium and treated with APL-4098 as indicated for 4 hours. Cell lysates were analyzed by Western blotting.

Article Snippet: The osteosarcoma cell line U2OS (HTB-96, RRID: CVCL_0042) was obtained from ATCC and cultured in DMEM high glucose (Gibco, #41965-039) with 10% FBS (Gibco, #10270-106), 1 mmol/L sodium pyruvate (Gibco, #11360-039), 1% nonessential amino acids (Gibco, #11140-035), and antibiotics (penicillin/streptomycin 100 U/mL and 100 μg/mL; Gibco, #15140-122).

Techniques: Binding Assay, Generated, Inhibition, Activity Assay, Phospho-proteomics, HTRF Assay, Western Blot

Journal: Clinical Cancer Research

Article Title: A Novel Potent and Selective GCN2 Inhibitor, APL-4098, Has Antileukemic Activity through Dysregulation of Mitochondrial Function

doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-1444

Figure Lengend Snippet: APL-4098 is a selective inhibitor of GCN2. A, Eurofins KINOMEScan selectivity panel assay Treespot results for APL-4098 tested at 1 μmol/L. B, Eurofins biochemical K d concentration–response assay. C, U2OS cells were treated with APL-4098 or positive control dabrafenib (bioRxiv 2024.08.14.607626) in the presence of BtdCPU for 4 hours. Cell lysates were analyzed for phosphorylation of eIF2α using HTRF assay. Plot shows mean ± SEM from three individual experiments conducted in duplicate. D, U2OS cells were treated with APL-4098 or positive control GSK2606414 in the presence of thapsigargin for 4 hours. Cell lysates were analyzed for phosphorylation of eIF2α using HTRF assay. Plot shows mean ± SEM from three individual experiments.

Article Snippet: The osteosarcoma cell line U2OS (HTB-96, RRID: CVCL_0042) was obtained from ATCC and cultured in DMEM high glucose (Gibco, #41965-039) with 10% FBS (Gibco, #10270-106), 1 mmol/L sodium pyruvate (Gibco, #11360-039), 1% nonessential amino acids (Gibco, #11140-035), and antibiotics (penicillin/streptomycin 100 U/mL and 100 μg/mL; Gibco, #15140-122).

Techniques: Concentration Assay, Positive Control, Phospho-proteomics, HTRF Assay

Journal: Nature Communications

Article Title: Versatile and sensitive detection of mono- and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reveals XRCC1-dependent remodelling of PARP1 signalling

doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-71311-4

Figure Lengend Snippet: A Immunoblot analysis of in vitro ADP-ribosylated PARP1 with (mono-ADPr) or without (poly-ADPr) PARG using Poly-/ Pan-/ Mono-ADPr antibodies. Detection was done in parallel resulting in comparable signal intensities. Red colour represents saturated signal. N = 3. B Dot-blot analysis of in vitro auto-poly-ADPr of PARP1 in 1:2 dilution series using Poly-/ Pan-ADPr antibodies. Detection was done in parallel resulting in comparable signal intensities. Red colour represents saturated signal. N = 3. C Immunoblot analysis of in vitro ADP-ribosylated PARP1 with (Ser-ADPr) or without (Asp/Glut-ADPr) HPF1 using Poly-ADPr antibodies. Detection was done in parallel resulting in comparable signal intensities. N = 3. D Immunoblot analysis of SDS cell extracts from 2 mM H2O2-treated wild-type (WT) U2OS cells with and without 1 μM Olaparib treatment with the indicated antibodies. Detection was done in parallel resulting in comparable signal intensities. Red colour represents saturated signal. N = 3. E Immunoblot analysis of SDS cell extracts from untreated wild-type (WT) hTERT RPE1 cells with and without 1 μM Olaparib treatment for 1 h with the indicated antibodies. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. N = 3. F Immunofluorescent staining of mono-/ poly-/ pan-ADPr in 2 mM H2O2-treated WT U2OS cells with and without 1 μM Olaparib treatment using the indicated antibodies. Detection was done on individual basis, signal intensities between different antibodies are not comparable. Signals are normalised to WT untreated conditions. Error bars represent SEM. Combined analysis of 3 Biological Replicates. Representative Images from 1 Biological Replicate. Scale bar, 10 μM. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Article Snippet: U2OS cell lines were obtained, authenticated by STR profiling and confirmed mycoplasma-free by ATCC cell line authentication service.

Techniques: Western Blot, In Vitro, Dot Blot, Staining

Journal: Nature Communications

Article Title: Versatile and sensitive detection of mono- and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reveals XRCC1-dependent remodelling of PARP1 signalling

doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-71311-4

Figure Lengend Snippet: A Schematic illustration of the affinity maturation process. Illustrations generated in Adobe Illustrator. Schematics adapted from Dauben et al. . B ELISA analysis of antibody specificities using the indicated antibodies (2 μg/mL) and biotinylated peptides (61 nM). Bars represent the arithmetic mean of 3 independent experiments. Error bars represent SD. C Left: Dot Blot analysis of isolated RNA from U2OS cells before and after glucose starvation. Right: Enzymatic digestion control of isolated RNA. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. N = 3. D Immunoblot analysis of SDS cell extracts from 2 mM H2O2-treated wild-type (WT) U2OS cells with and without 1 μM Olaparib treatment with the indicated antibodies. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. Red colour represents a saturated signal. N = 3. E Immunofluorescent staining of mono-ADPr in 2 mM H2O2-treated WT U2OS cells with and without 1 uM Olaparib treatment using the indicated antibodies. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. Signals are normalised to WT untreated conditions. Error bars represent SEM. Combined Analysis of 3 Biological Replicates. Representative Images from 1 Biological Replicate. Scale bar, 10 μM. F Immunoblot analysis of H2SO4 cell extracts from 2 mM H2O2-treated wild-type (WT) U2OS cells with and without 1 μM Olaparib treatment with H3S10/S28-ADPr site-specific antibodies. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. N = 3. G Immunoblot analysis of SDS cell extracts from 2 mM H2O2-treated wild-type (WT) U2OS cells with and without 1 μM PARG inhibition treatment with the indicated antibodies. Detection was done in parallel, resulting in comparable signal intensities. Red colour represents a saturated signal. N = 3. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Article Snippet: U2OS cell lines were obtained, authenticated by STR profiling and confirmed mycoplasma-free by ATCC cell line authentication service.

Techniques: Generated, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Dot Blot, Isolation, Control, RNA Detection, Western Blot, Staining, Inhibition

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cytoplasmic capping enzyme targeted, hypoxia-responsive RNAs, RORA and KCTD16 modulate the aggressiveness of CoCl 2 -induced hypoxic osteosarcoma cells

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.30.715387

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A and C ) Representative microscopic images of BrdU incorporation assays in U2OS and MG63 osteosarcoma cells under normoxic (control) and CoCl 2 induced hypoxic conditions. Scale bar = 50 μm. ( B and D ) Quantification of BrdU-positive cells showing a significant decrease in proliferation in hypoxic U2OS and MG63 cells compared with their respective controls (n ≥ 20 cells per condition). ( E and G ) Representative images of colony-formation assays in control and CoCl₂-treated hypoxic U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively. (F and H) Quantification of colony numbers showing a marked reduction in the clonogenic potential of hypoxic osteosarcoma cells. ( I and K ). Representative images of cell-migration assays in U2OS and MG63 cells under control and hypoxic conditions. Scale bar = 50 µm. ( J and L) Quantification of migrated cells showed a significant reduction in the migratory capacity of hypoxic U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively. Statistical significance was calculated using two-tailed Student’s t -test and is represented as mean ± SD from three biological replicates. ns: non-significant, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.005, ***P < 0.0005, ****P < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Human osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and MG63 were procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, respectively.

Techniques: BrdU Incorporation Assay, Control, Migration, Two Tailed Test

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cytoplasmic capping enzyme targeted, hypoxia-responsive RNAs, RORA and KCTD16 modulate the aggressiveness of CoCl 2 -induced hypoxic osteosarcoma cells

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.30.715387

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A ) U2OS cells, either stably expressing K294A upon doxycycline induction or uninduced controls, were biochemically fractionated into nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Western blot analysis confirmed fractionation quality using Lamin A/C as a nuclear marker and GAPDH as a cytoplasmic marker. Myc blotting verified the expression of K294A upon doxycycline induction. ( B ) Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a significant reduction in the cytoplasmic levels of RORA and KCTD16 transcripts in K294A expressing cells compared with controls, while BNIP3 levels remained unchanged. ( C ) Western blot analysis further confirmed decreased protein levels of RORA and KCTD16 in K294A-expressing cells. Myc blotting verified stable K294A expression. ( D ) Densitometric analysis of RORA and KCTD16 protein bands from panel C was performed using ImageJ software. β-Actin was used as a loading control for normalization. Statistical analysis was calculated by performing two-tailed Student’s t -test. ( E ) Table summarizing the internal CAGE (Cap Analysis of Gene Expression) sites identified within the analysed transcripts, with the specific positions highlighted in red. ( F - J ) Bar graphs representing the genomic distribution of CAGE peaks for each gene, illustrating the relative frequency of CAGE signals across different transcript regions. ( K ) Schematic illustration of the Xrn1 susceptibility assay used to assess the stability of 5′-capped transcripts. ( L ) Relative 5′-end loss of RORA and KCTD16 was assessed using an in vitro Xrn1 susceptibility assay. In K294A-expressing cells, both transcripts exhibited a level of 5′-end loss comparable to STAT3 , a known cCE target, relative to control cells. Statistical analysis was performed using one sample Student’s t -test. ( M ) Western blot analysis showing Xrn1 protein levels in Xrn1 knockdown cells with or without doxycycline-induced K294A expression. Myc detection confirmed successful induction of the dominant-negative cCE mutant. ( N ) Quantification of Xrn1 knockdown efficiency was performed using ImageJ software, with β-Actin serving as the internal loading control. ( O ) RORA and KCTD16 exhibited the most pronounced rescue in Xrn1 knockdown cells expressing K294A, indicating their strong dependence on cytoplasmic capping for stability. Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA. All the data is represented as mean ± SD from three biological replicates. ns: non-significant, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.005, ***P < 0.0005, ****P < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Human osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and MG63 were procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, respectively.

Techniques: Stable Transfection, Expressing, Western Blot, Fractionation, Marker, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Software, Control, Two Tailed Test, Gene Expression, Drug Susceptibility Assay, In Vitro, Knockdown, Dominant Negative Mutation, Mutagenesis

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cytoplasmic capping enzyme targeted, hypoxia-responsive RNAs, RORA and KCTD16 modulate the aggressiveness of CoCl 2 -induced hypoxic osteosarcoma cells

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.30.715387

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A and B ) qPCR analysis of the selected transcripts in U2OS and MG63 cells revealed reduced expression following treatment with the HIF1α inhibitor PX478, irrespective of hypoxia induction. ( C and E ) Western blot analysis of U2OS and MG63 cells demonstrated reduced protein levels of all selected targets, including HIF1α, in PX478-treated hypoxic samples. ( D and F ) Quantification of western blot band intensities corresponding to panels C and E was performed using ImageJ software. β-Actin served as the loading control for normalization. Data are presented as mean ± SD from three biological replicates. Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA. ns, not significant; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.005; ***P < 0.0005; ****P < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Human osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and MG63 were procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, respectively.

Techniques: Expressing, Western Blot, Software, Control

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cytoplasmic capping enzyme targeted, hypoxia-responsive RNAs, RORA and KCTD16 modulate the aggressiveness of CoCl 2 -induced hypoxic osteosarcoma cells

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.30.715387

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A ) Western blot analysis of c-Myc protein levels in U2OS cells under normoxic and CoCl₂-induced hypoxic conditions. ( B ) Densitometric quantification of c-Myc expression from panel A using ImageJ, showing reduced c-Myc levels in hypoxic U2OS cells. β-Actin served as the loading control. Statistical significance was determined using two-tailed Student’s t -test. ( C and E ) Western blots showing siRNA-mediated depletion of RORA ( C ) and KCTD16 ( I ) in U2OS and MG63 cells under hypoxic conditions. HIF1α blot confirms hypoxia induction. c-Myc levels were elevated upon depletion of either gene. ( D and J ) ImageJ-based densitometric quantification of blots from panels C and I , normalized to β-actin. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. ( E and K ) Representative microscopic images of BrdU incorporation assays in RORA and KCTD16 depleted hypoxic U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively. Scale bar = 50 μm. ( F and L ) Quantification of BrdU-positive cells showing increased proliferation upon RORA or KCTD16 depletion under hypoxic conditions (n ≥ 20 cells per condition). ( G and M ) Representative images of colony formation assays in RORA-and KCTD16-depleted hypoxic osteosarcoma cells. ( H and N ) Quantitative analysis showing enhanced clonogenic potential following RORA or KCTD16 depletion in hypoxic cells. Statistical significance was calculated using one-way ANOVA. All the data is represented as ± SD from three biological replicates. ns: non-significant, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.005, ***P < 0.0005, ****P < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Human osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and MG63 were procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, respectively.

Techniques: Western Blot, Expressing, Control, Two Tailed Test, BrdU Incorporation Assay

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Cytoplasmic capping enzyme targeted, hypoxia-responsive RNAs, RORA and KCTD16 modulate the aggressiveness of CoCl 2 -induced hypoxic osteosarcoma cells

doi: 10.64898/2026.03.30.715387

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A and I ) Western blots showing RORA, KCTD16, and c-Myc levels in U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively. ( B and J ) Densitometric quantification of the blots using ImageJ demonstrated that overexpression of RORA or KCTD16 led to reduced c-Myc expression in both cell lines. β-Actin was used as a loading control for normalization. ( C and K ) Representative microscopic images of BrdU incorporation assays in RORA and KCTD16 overexpressing U2OS and MG63 cells, respectively. Scale bar = 50 μm. ( D and L ) Quantification of BrdU-positive cells showing significantly decreased proliferative capacity in RORA and KCTD16-overexpressing cells (n ≥ 20 cells per condition). ( E and M ) Representative images of colony formation assays in RORA and KCTD16 overexpressing osteosarcoma cells. ( F and N ) Quantification of colonies demonstrating a marked reduction in clonogenic potential upon RORA or KCTD16 overexpression. ( G and O ) Representative images of migration assays in RORA and KCTD16-overexpressing cells. Scale bar = 50 μm. ( H and P ) Quantification of migrated cells showing significantly impaired migratory capacity in RORA and KCTD16 overexpressing osteosarcoma cells. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, and all data are presented as mean ± SD from three independent biological replicates. Significance is indicated as follows: ns, not significant; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.005; ***P < 0.0005; ****P < 0.0001.

Article Snippet: Human osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and MG63 were procured from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, respectively.

Techniques: Western Blot, Over Expression, Expressing, Control, BrdU Incorporation Assay, Migration