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Cocanougher BT, Liu SW, Francescatto L, Behura A, Anneling M, Jackson DG, Deak KL, Hornik CD, ElMallah MK, Pizoli CE, Smith EC, Tan KGQ, McDonald MT. The severity of MUSK pathogenic variants is predicted by the protein domain they disrupt. HGG ADVANCES 2024; 5:100288. [PMID: 38566418 PMCID: PMC11070630 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Biallelic loss-of-function variants in the MUSK gene result in two allelic disorders: (1) congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS; OMIM: 616325), a neuromuscular disorder that has a range of severity from severe neonatal-onset weakness to mild adult-onset weakness, and (2) fetal akinesia deformation sequence (OMIM: 208150), a form of pregnancy loss characterized by severe muscle weakness in the fetus. The MUSK gene codes for muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in the development of the neuromuscular junction. Here, we report a case of neonatal-onset MUSK-related CMS in a patient harboring compound heterozygous deletions in the MUSK gene, including (1) a deletion of exons 2-3 leading to an in-frame MuSK protein lacking the immunoglobulin 1 (Ig1) domain and (2) a deletion of exons 7-11 leading to an out-of-frame, truncated MuSK protein. Individual domains of the MuSK protein have been elucidated structurally; however, a complete MuSK structure generated by machine learning algorithms has clear inaccuracies. We modify a predicted AlphaFold structure and integrate previously reported domain-specific structural data to suggest a MuSK protein that dimerizes in two locations (Ig1 and the transmembrane domain). We analyze known pathogenic variants in MUSK to discover domain-specific genotype-phenotype correlations; variants that lead to a loss of protein expression, disruption of the Ig1 domain, or Dok-7 binding are associated with the most severe phenotypes. A conceptual model is provided to explain the severe phenotypes seen in Ig1 variants and the poor response of our patient to pyridostigmine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Cocanougher
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Samuel W Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Alexander Behura
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mariele Anneling
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David G Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kristen L Deak
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Chi D Hornik
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mai K ElMallah
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Carolyn E Pizoli
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Edward C Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Khoon Ghee Queenie Tan
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Marie T McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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Does Generic Cyclic Kinase Insert Domain of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase KIT Clone Its Native Homologue? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232112898. [PMID: 36361689 PMCID: PMC9656684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are modular membrane proteins possessing both well-folded and disordered domains acting together in ligand-induced activation and regulation of post-transduction processes that tightly couple extracellular and cytoplasmic events. They ensure the fine-turning control of signal transmission by signal transduction. Deregulation of RTK KIT, including overexpression and gain of function mutations, has been detected in several human cancers. In this paper, we analysed by in silico techniques the Kinase Insert Domain (KID), a key platform of KIT transduction processes, as a generic macrocycle (KIDGC), a cleaved isolated polypeptide (KIDC), and a natively fused TKD domain (KIDD). We assumed that these KID species have similar structural and dynamic characteristics indicating the intrinsically disordered nature of this domain. This finding means that both polypeptides, cyclic KIDGC and linear KIDC, are valid models of KID integrated into the RTK KIT and will be helpful for further computational and empirical studies of post-transduction KIT events.
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Sheikh E, Tran T, Vranic S, Levy A, Bonfil RD. Role and significance of c-KIT receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer: A review. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2022; 22:683-698. [PMID: 35490363 PMCID: PMC9519160 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2021.7399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
c-kit is a classical proto-oncogene that encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that responds to stem cell factor (SCF). C-KIT signaling is a critical regulator of cell proliferation, survival, and migration and is implicated in several physiological processes, including pigmentation, hematopoiesis and gut movement. Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated c-KIT function, caused by either overexpression or mutations in c-kit, promotes tumor development and progression in various human cancers. In this review, we discuss the most important structural and biological features of c-KIT, as well as insights into the activation of intracellular signaling pathways following SCF binding to this RTK. We then illustrate how different c-kit alterations are associated with specific human cancers and describe recent studies that highlight the contribution of c-KIT to cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and progression to metastatic disease in different experimental models. The impact of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in treating c-KIT-positive tumors and limitations due to their propensity to develop drug resistance are summarized. Finally, we appraise the potential of novel therapeutic approaches targeting c-KIT more selectively while minimizing toxicity to normal tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emana Sheikh
- OMS-III, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
| | - Tony Tran
- OMS-III, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
| | - Semir Vranic
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Arkene Levy
- Department of Medical Education, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
| | - R. Daniel Bonfil
- Department of Medical Education, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
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Ledoux J, Trouvé A, Tchertanov L. The Inherent Coupling of Intrinsically Disordered Regions in the Multidomain Receptor Tyrosine Kinase KIT. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031589. [PMID: 35163518 PMCID: PMC8835827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
RTK KIT regulates a variety of crucial cellular processes via its cytoplasmic domain (CD), which is composed of the tyrosine kinase domain, crowned by the highly flexible domains—the juxtamembrane region, kinase insertion domain, and C-tail, which are key recruitment regions for downstream signalling proteins. To prepare a structural basis for the characterization of the interactions of KIT with its signalling proteins (KIT INTERACTOME), we generated the 3D model of the full-length CD attached to the transmembrane helix. This generic model of KIT in inactive state was studied by molecular dynamics simulation under conditions mimicking the natural environment of KIT. With the accurate atomistic description of the multidomain KIT dynamics, we explained its intrinsic (intra-domain) and extrinsic (inter-domain) disorder and represented the conformational assemble of KIT through free energy landscapes. Strongly coupled movements within each domain and between distant domains of KIT prove the functional interdependence of these regions, described as allosteric regulation, a phenomenon widely observed in many proteins. We suggested that KIT, in its inactive state, encodes all properties of the active protein and its post-transduction events.
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Ledoux J, Trouvé A, Tchertanov L. Folding and Intrinsic Disorder of the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase KIT Insert Domain Seen by Conventional Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147375. [PMID: 34298994 PMCID: PMC8307779 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinase insert domain (KID) of RTK KIT is the key recruitment region for downstream signalling proteins. KID, studied by molecular dynamics simulations as a cleaved polypeptide and as a native domain fused to KIT, showed intrinsic disorder represented by a set of heterogeneous conformations. The accurate atomistic models showed that the helical fold of KID is mainly sequence dependent. However, the reduced fold of the native KID suggests that its folding is allosterically controlled by the kinase domain. The tertiary structure of KID represents a compact array of highly variable α- and 310-helices linked by flexible loops playing a principal role in the conformational diversity. The helically folded KID retains a collapsed globule-like shape due to non-covalent interactions associated in a ternary hydrophobic core. The free energy landscapes constructed from first principles-the size, the measure of the average distance between the conformations, the amount of helices and the solvent-accessible surface area-describe the KID disorder through a collection of minima (wells), providing a direct evaluation of conformational ensembles. We found that the cleaved KID simulated with restricted N- and C-ends better reproduces the native KID than the isolated polypeptide. We suggest that a cyclic, generic KID would be best suited for future studies of KID f post-transduction effects.
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