Englerin A Rewires Phosphosignaling via Hsp27 Hyperphosphorylation to Induce Cytotoxicity in Renal Cancer Cells

Englerin A (EA) is a small-molecule natural product with selective cytotoxicity against renal cancer cells. EA has been shown to induce apoptosis and cell death through cell-cycle arrest and/or insulin signaling pathways. However, its biological mode of action or targets in renal cancer remains enigmatic. In this study, we employed advanced mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics approaches to identify EA’s functional roles in renal cancer. We identified 10,940 phosphorylation sites, of which 706 sites exhibited EA-dependent phosphorylation changes. Integrated analysis of motifs and interaction networks suggested activation of stress-activated kinases including p38 upon EA treatment. Of note, a downstream target of p38, Hsp27, was found to be hyperphosphorylated on multiple sites upon EA treatment. Among these, a novel site Ser65 on Hsp27, which was further validated by targeted proteomics, was shown to be crucial for EA-induced cytotoxicity in renal cancer cells. Taken together, these data reveal the complex signaling cascade that is induced upon EA treatment and importantly provide insights into its effects on downstream molecular signaling.