Summary p62 is a ubiquitin-binding autophagy receptor and signaling protein that accumulates in premalignant liver diseases and most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Although p62 was proposed to participate in formation of benign adenomas in autophagy-deficient livers, its role in HCC initiation was not explored. Here we show that p62 is necessary and sufficient for HCC induction in mice and that its high expression level in non-tumor human liver predicts rapid HCC recurrence after curative ablation. High p62 expression is needed for activation of NRF2 and mTORC1, induction of c-Myc and protection of HCC-initiating cells from oxidative stress-induced death.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in response to elevated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Whereas the onset of simple steatosis requires elevated de novo lipogenesis, progression to NASH is triggered by accumulation of hepatocyte-free cholesterol. We now show that caspase-2, whose expression is ER-stress inducible and elevated in human and mouse NASH, controls the buildup of hepatic-free cholesterol and triglycerides by activating sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) in a manner refractory to feedback inhibition. Caspase-2 colocalizes with site 1 protease (S1P) and cleaves it to generate a soluble active fragment that initiates SCAP-independent SREBP1/2 activation in the ER. Caspase-2 ablation or pharmacological inhibition prevents diet-induced steatosis and NASH progression in ER-stress-prone mice. Caspase-2 inhibition offers a specific and effective strategy for preventing or treating stress-driven fatty liver diseases, whereas caspase-2-generated S1P proteolytic fragments, which enter the secretory pathway, are potential NASH biomarkers.

p62/SQSTM1 is a multifunctional signaling hub and autophagy adaptor with many binding partners, which allow it to activate mTORC1-dependent nutrient sensing, NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses and the NRF2-activated antioxidant defense. p62 recognizes polyubiquitin chains via its C-terminal domain and binds to LC3 via its LIR motif, thereby promoting the autophagic degradation of ubiquitinated cargos. p62 accumulates in many human liver diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), where it is a component of Mallory-Denk bodies and intracellular hyaline bodies. Chronic p62 elevation contributes to HCC development by preventing oncogene-induced senescence and death of cancer-initiating cells and enhancing their proliferation. In this review, we discuss p62-mediated signaling pathways and their roles in liver pathophysiology, especially NASH and HCC.

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It is well known that carbapenem-resistant mutations in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are not observed in most Gram-negative bacteria under either clinical or experimental conditions. To understand the mechanisms involved in carbapenem resistance, this study constructed a mutSand tolC-deficient Escherichia coli strain, which was expected to have elevated mutation frequencies and to lack drug efflux. Using this mutant, carbapenem-resistant strains with target mutations were successfully and efficiently isolated. The mutations T547I/A, M574I and G601D were identified in the PBP2 gene. Meropenem (MEPM)-resistant strains with the PBP2 T547I mutation showed fourfold increased resistance to 1-b-methyl-substituted carbapenems, such as doripenem, MEPM and biapenem, but not to non-substituted carbapenems such as imipenem and panipenem and other b-lactams. In addition, resistance resulting from the G601D mutation was limited to MEPM, whilst the M574I mutation conferred resistance to MEPM, imipenem and panipenem. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, that E. coli also has a carbapenem-resistance mechanism as a result of PBP2 mutations, and it provides insight into the resistance profiles of PBP2 mutations to carbapenems with and without the 1-b-methyl group.

In order to find new anti-Pseudomonas agents, we carried out whole-cell based P. aeruginosa growth assay, and identified 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,3,5-triazine (Compound A). This compound showed anti-Pseudomonas activity against wild as well as pumpless strain equally at a same concentration. Also, this compound was structurally very similar to A22, which is known to inhibit the bacterial actin-like protein MreB. By the analysis of resistant strains, the primary target of this compound in P. aeruginosa was definitely confirmed to be MreB. In addition, these compounds showed a bacteriostatic effect, and induced the morphology changes in P. aeruginosa from rod shape to sphere shape, which leads to be clinically favorable in terms of susceptibility to phagocytosis and release of endotoxin. These results display that Compound A is a very attractive compound which shows anti-P. aeruginosa activity based on inhibition of MreB without being affected by efflux pumps, and could provide a new step toward development of new promising anti-Pseudomonas agents, MreB inhibitors.

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