Abstract
The neddylation pathway is overactivated in esophageal cancer. Our previous studies indicated that inactivation of neddylation by the NAE inhibitor induced apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells. Camptothecin (CPT), a well-known anticancer agent, could induce apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells. However, whether CPT could affect the neddylation pathway and the molecular mechanisms of CPT-induced autophagy in esophageal cancer remains elusive. We found that CPT induced apoptosis and autophagy in esophageal cancer. Mechanistically, CPT inhibited the activity of neddylation and induced the accumulation of p-IkBa to block NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CPT induced the generation of ROS to modulate the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 axis to finally promote protective autophagy. In our study, we elucidate a novel mechanism of the NF-κB/AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway in CPT-induced protective autophagy in esophageal cancer cells, which provides a sound rationale for combinational anti-ESCC therapy with CPT and inhibition AMPK/ULK1 pathway.