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Iyer RS, Needham SR, Galdadas I, Davis BM, Roberts SK, Man RCH, Zanetti-Domingues LC, Clarke DT, Fruhwirth GO, Parker PJ, Rolfe DJ, Gervasio FL, Martin-Fernandez ML. Drug-resistant EGFR mutations promote lung cancer by stabilizing interfaces in ligand-free kinase-active EGFR oligomers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2130. [PMID: 38503739 PMCID: PMC10951324 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46284-x] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is frequently found to be mutated in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncogenic EGFR has been successfully targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but acquired drug resistance eventually overcomes the efficacy of these treatments. Attempts to surmount this therapeutic challenge are hindered by a poor understanding of how and why cancer mutations specifically amplify ligand-independent EGFR auto-phosphorylation signals to enhance cell survival and how this amplification is related to ligand-dependent cell proliferation. Here we show that drug-resistant EGFR mutations manipulate the assembly of ligand-free, kinase-active oligomers to promote and stabilize the assembly of oligomer-obligate active dimer sub-units and circumvent the need for ligand binding. We reveal the structure and assembly mechanisms of these ligand-free, kinase-active oligomers, uncovering oncogenic functions for hitherto orphan transmembrane and kinase interfaces, and for the ectodomain tethered conformation of EGFR. Importantly, we find that the active dimer sub-units within ligand-free oligomers are the high affinity binding sites competent to bind physiological ligand concentrations and thus drive tumor growth, revealing a link with tumor proliferation. Our findings provide a framework for future drug discovery directed at tackling oncogenic EGFR mutations by disabling oligomer-assembling interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sumanth Iyer
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
- Immunocore Limited, 92 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, UK
| | - Sarah R Needham
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Ioannis Galdadas
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin M Davis
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Selene K Roberts
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Rico C H Man
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - David T Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Gilbert O Fruhwirth
- Imaging Therapies and Cancer Group, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Peter J Parker
- Protein Phosphorylation Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel J Rolfe
- Central Laser Facility, UKRI-STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK.
| | - Francesco L Gervasio
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- ISPSO, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Chemistry Department, University College London, London, UK.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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2
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Macdonald-Obermann JL, Pike LJ. Extracellular domain mutations of the EGF receptor differentially modulate high-affinity and low-affinity responses to EGF receptor ligands. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105763. [PMID: 38367671 PMCID: PMC10945275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The EGF receptor is mutated in a number of cancers. In most cases, the mutations occur in the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. However, in glioblastomas, many of the mutations are in the extracellular ligand binding domain. To determine what changes in receptor function are induced by such extracellular domain mutations, we analyzed the binding and biological response to the seven different EGF receptor ligands in three common glioblastoma mutants-R84K, A265V, and G574V. Our data indicate that all three mutations significantly increase the binding affinity of all seven ligands. In addition, the mutations increase the potency of all ligands for stimulating receptor autophosphorylation, phospholipase Cγ, Akt, and MAP kinase activity. In all mutants, the rank order of ligand potency seen at the wild-type receptor was retained, suggesting that the receptors still discriminate among the different ligands. However, the low-affinity ligands, EPR and EPG, did show larger than average enhancements of potency for stimulating Akt and MAPK but not receptor autophosphorylation and phospholipase Cγ activation. Relative to the wild-type receptor, these changes lead to an increase in the responsiveness of these mutants to physiological concentrations of ligands and an alteration in the ratio of activation of the different pathways. This may contribute to their oncogenic potential. In the context of recent findings, our data also suggest that so-called "high"-affinity biological responses arise from activation by isolated receptor dimers, whereas "low"-affinity biological responses require clustering of receptors which occurs at higher concentrations of ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Linda J Pike
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri.
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3
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Haubrich J, Zwier JM, Charrier-Savournin F, Prézeau L, Pin JP. Different EGF-induced receptor dimer conformations for signaling and internalization. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23356. [PMID: 38071470 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301209r] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The structural basis of the activation and internalization of EGF receptors (EGFR) is still a matter of debate despite the importance of this target in cancer treatment. Whether agonists induce dimer formation or act on preformed dimers remains discussed. Here, we provide direct evidence that EGF-induced EGFR dimer formation as best illustrated by the very large increase in FRET between snap-tagged EGFR subunits induced by agonists. We confirm that Erlotinib-related TK (tyrosine kinase) inhibitors also induce dimer formation despite the inactive state of the binding domain. Surprisingly, TK inhibitors do not inhibit EGF-induced EGFR internalization despite their ability to fully block EGFR signaling. Only Erlotinib-related TK inhibitors promoting asymmetric dimers could slow down this process while the lapatinib-related ones have almost no effect. These results reveal that the conformation of the intracellular TK dimer, rather than the known EGFR signaling, is critical for EGFR internalization. These results also illustrate clear differences in the mode of action of TK inhibitors on the EGFR and open novel possibilities to control EGFR signaling for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Haubrich
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | | | | | - Laurent Prézeau
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Pin
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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4
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Sugiyama MG, Brown AI, Vega-Lugo J, Borges JP, Scott AM, Jaqaman K, Fairn GD, Antonescu CN. Confinement of unliganded EGFR by tetraspanin nanodomains gates EGFR ligand binding and signaling. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2681. [PMID: 37160944 PMCID: PMC10170156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38390-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a central regulator of cell physiology. EGFR is activated by ligand binding, triggering receptor dimerization, activation of kinase activity, and intracellular signaling. EGFR is transiently confined within various plasma membrane nanodomains, yet how this may contribute to regulation of EGFR ligand binding is poorly understood. To resolve how EGFR nanoscale compartmentalization gates ligand binding, we developed single-particle tracking methods to track the mobility of ligand-bound and total EGFR, in combination with modeling of EGFR ligand binding. In comparison to unliganded EGFR, ligand-bound EGFR is more confined and distinctly regulated by clathrin and tetraspanin nanodomains. Ligand binding to unliganded EGFR occurs preferentially in tetraspanin nanodomains, and disruption of tetraspanin nanodomains impairs EGFR ligand binding and alters the conformation of the receptor's ectodomain. We thus reveal a mechanism by which EGFR confinement within tetraspanin nanodomains regulates receptor signaling at the level of ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Sugiyama
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aidan I Brown
- Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jesus Vega-Lugo
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jazlyn P Borges
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew M Scott
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Khuloud Jaqaman
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gregory D Fairn
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Costin N Antonescu
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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5
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Balasubramanian H, Sankaran J, Pandey S, Goh CJH, Wohland T. The dependence of EGFR oligomerization on environment and structure: A camera-based N&B study. Biophys J 2022; 121:4452-4466. [PMID: 36335429 PMCID: PMC9748371 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Number and brightness (N&B) analysis is a fluorescence spectroscopy technique to quantify oligomerization of the mobile fraction of proteins. Accurate results, however, rely on a good knowledge of nonfluorescent states of the fluorescent labels, especially of fluorescent proteins, which are widely used in biology. Fluorescent proteins have been characterized for confocal, but not camera-based, N&B, which allows, in principle, faster measurements over larger areas. Here, we calibrate camera-based N&B implemented on a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope for various fluorescent proteins by determining their propensity to be fluorescent. We then apply camera-based N&B in live CHO-K1 cells to determine the oligomerization state of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase that is a crucial regulator of cell proliferation and survival with implications in many cancers. EGFR oligomerization in resting cells and its regulation by the plasma membrane microenvironment are still under debate. Therefore, we investigate the effects of extrinsic factors, including membrane organization, cytoskeletal structure, and ligand stimulation, and intrinsic factors, including mutations in various EGFR domains, on the receptor's oligomerization. Our results demonstrate that EGFR oligomerization increases with removal of cholesterol or sphingolipids or the disruption of GM3-EGFR interactions, indicating raft association. However, oligomerization is not significantly influenced by the cytoskeleton. Mutations in either I706/V948 residues or E685/E687/E690 residues in the kinase and juxtamembrane domains, respectively, lead to a decrease in oligomerization, indicating their necessity for EGFR dimerization. Finally, EGFR phosphorylation is oligomerization dependent, involving the extracellular domain (550-580 residues). Coupled with biochemical investigations, camera-based N&B indicates that EGFR oligomerization and phosphorylation are the outcomes of several molecular interactions involving the lipid content and structure of the cell membrane and multiple residues in the kinase, juxtamembrane, and extracellular domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harikrushnan Balasubramanian
- Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jagadish Sankaran
- Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shambhavi Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Corinna Jie Hui Goh
- Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thorsten Wohland
- Department of Biological Sciences and NUS Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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6
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Suh YJ, Pandey M, Segall JE, Wu M. Tumor spheroid invasion in epidermal growth factor gradients revealed by a 3D microfluidic device. Phys Biol 2022; 19:10.1088/1478-3975/ac54c7. [PMID: 35158347 PMCID: PMC8957059 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac54c7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a potent cytokine, is known to promote tumor invasion bothin vivoandin vitro. Previously, we observed that single breast tumor cells (MDA-MB-231 cell line) embedded within a 3D collagen matrix displayed enhanced motility but no discernible chemotaxis in the presence of linear EGF gradients using a microfluidic platform. Inspired by a recent theoretical development that clustered mammalian cells respond differently to chemical gradients than single cells, we studied tumor spheroid invasion within a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) in the presence of EGF gradients. We found that EGF gradients promoted tumor cell detachment from the spheroid core, and the position of the tumor spheroid core showed a mild chemotactic response towards the EGF gradients. For those tumor cells detached from the spheroids, they showed an enhanced motility response in contrast to previous experimental results using single cells embedded within an ECM. No discernible chemotactic response towards the EGF gradients was found for the cells outside the spheroid core. This work demonstrates that a cluster of tumor cells responds differently than single tumor cells towards EGF gradients and highlights the importance of a tumor spheroid platform for tumor invasion studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Joon Suh
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Mrinal Pandey
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey E Segall
- Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, United States of America
| | - Mingming Wu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, 306 Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
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7
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It Takes More than Two to Tango: Complex, Hierarchal, and Membrane-Modulated Interactions in the Regulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040944. [PMID: 35205690 PMCID: PMC8869822 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for an understanding of how cell fate and motility are regulated is not a purely scientific undertaking, but it can also lead to rationally designed therapies against cancer. The discovery of tyrosine kinases about half a century ago, the subsequent characterization of certain transmembrane receptors harboring tyrosine kinase activity, and their connection to the development of human cancer ushered in a new age with the hope of finding a treatment for malignant diseases in the foreseeable future. However, painstaking efforts were required to uncover the principles of how these receptors with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity are regulated. Developments in molecular and structural biology and biophysical approaches paved the way towards better understanding of these pathways. Discoveries in the past twenty years first resulted in the formulation of textbook dogmas, such as dimerization-driven receptor association, which were followed by fine-tuning the model. In this review, the role of molecular interactions taking place during the activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, with special attention to the epidermal growth factor receptor family, will be discussed. The fact that these receptors are anchored in the membrane provides ample opportunities for modulatory lipid-protein interactions that will be considered in detail in the second part of the manuscript. Although qualitative and quantitative alterations in lipids in cancer are not sufficient in their own right to drive the malignant transformation, they both contribute to tumor formation and also provide ways to treat cancer. The review will be concluded with a summary of these medical aspects of lipid-protein interactions.
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8
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Zhao J, Mohan N, Nussinov R, Ma B, Wu WJ. Trastuzumab Blocks the Receiver Function of HER2 Leading to the Population Shifts of HER2-Containing Homodimers and Heterodimers. Antibodies (Basel) 2021; 10:7. [PMID: 33557368 PMCID: PMC7931022 DOI: 10.3390/antib10010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
HER2, a member of the Erythroblastosis Protein B/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (ErbB/HER) family of receptor tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed in 20~30% of human breast cancers. Trastuzumab, a HER2-targeted therapeutic monoclonal antibody, was developed to interfere with the homodimerization of HER2 in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells, which attenuates HER2-mediated signaling. Trastuzumab binds to the domain IV of the HER2 extracellular domain and does not directly block the dimerization interface of HER2-HER2 molecules. The three-dimensional structures of the tyrosine kinase domains of ErbB/HER family receptors show asymmetrical packing of the two monomers with distinct conformations. One monomer functions as an activator, whereas the other acts as a receiver. Once activated, the receiver monomer phosphorylates the activator or other proteins. Interestingly, in our previous work, we found that the binding of trastuzumab induced phosphorylation of HER2 with the phosphorylation pattern of HER2 that is different from that mediated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Binding of trastuzumab to HER2 promoted an allosteric effect of HER2, in both tyrosine kinase domain and ectodomain of HER2 although details of allosteric regulation were missing. In this study, we utilized molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to model the allosteric consequences of trastuzumab binding to HER2 homodimers and heterodimers, along with the apo forms as controls. We focused on the conformational changes of HER2 in its monomeric and dimeric forms. The data indicated the apparent dual role of trastuzumab as an antagonist and an agonist. The molecular details of the simulation provide an atomic level description and molecular insight into the action of HER2-targeted antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhao
- Division of Biotechnology Review and Research 1, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA;
- Interagency Oncology Task Force (IOTF) Fellowship: Oncology Product Research/Review Fellow, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nishant Mohan
- Division of Biotechnology Review and Research 1, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA;
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (R.N.)
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (R.N.)
| | - Wen Jin Wu
- Division of Biotechnology Review and Research 1, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA;
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9
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Brahimi F, Galan A, Jmaeff S, Barcelona PF, De Jay N, Dejgaard K, Young JC, Kleinman CL, Thomas DY, Saragovi HU. Alternative Splicing of a Receptor Intracellular Domain Yields Different Ectodomain Conformations, Enabling Isoform-Selective Functional Ligands. iScience 2020; 23:101447. [PMID: 32829283 PMCID: PMC7452315 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Events at a receptor ectodomain affect the intracellular domain conformation, activating signal transduction (out-to-in conformational effects). We investigated the reverse direction (in-to-out) where the intracellular domain may impact on ectodomain conformation. The primary sequences of naturally occurring TrkC receptor isoforms (TrkC-FL and TrkC.T1) only differ at the intracellular domain. However, owing to their differential association with Protein Disulfide Isomerase the isoforms have different disulfide bonding and conformations at the ectodomain. Conformations were exploited to develop artificial ligands, mAbs, and small molecules, with isoform-specific binding and biased activation. Consistent, the physiological ligands NT-3 and PTP-sigma bind both isoforms, but NT-3 activates all signaling pathways, whereas PTP-sigma activates biased signals. Our data support an "in-to-out" model controlling receptor ectodomain conformation, a strategy that enables heterogeneity in receptors, ligands, and bioactivity. These concepts may be extended to the many wild-type or oncogenic receptors with known isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fouad Brahimi
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Alba Galan
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Sean Jmaeff
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pablo F. Barcelona
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Nicolas De Jay
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kurt Dejgaard
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jason C. Young
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Claudia L. Kleinman
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David Y. Thomas
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - H. Uri Saragovi
- Lady Davis Institute-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Côte St. Catherine, E-535, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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10
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Hajdu T, Váradi T, Rebenku I, Kovács T, Szöllösi J, Nagy P. Comprehensive Model for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Ligand Binding Involving Conformational States of the Extracellular and the Kinase Domains. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:776. [PMID: 32850868 PMCID: PMC7431817 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) undergoes ligand-dependent dimerization to initiate transmembrane signaling. Although crystallographic structures of the extracellular and kinase domains are available, ligand binding has not been quantitatively analyzed taking the influence of both domains into account. Here, we developed a model explicitly accounting for conformational changes of the kinase and extracellular domains, their dimerizations and ligand binding to monomeric and dimeric receptor species. The model was fitted to ligand binding data of suspended cells expressing receptors with active or inactive kinase conformations. Receptor dimers with inactive, symmetric configuration of the kinase domains exhibit positive cooperativity and very weak binding affinity for the first ligand, whereas dimers with active, asymmetric kinase dimers are characterized by negative cooperativity and subnanomolar binding affinity for the first ligand. The homodimerization propensity of EGFR monomers with active kinase domains is ∼100-times higher than that of dimers with inactive kinase domains. Despite this fact, constitutive, ligand-independent dimers are mainly generated from monomers with inactive kinase domains due to the excess of such monomers in the membrane. The experimental finding of increased positive cooperativity at high expression levels of EGFR was recapitulated by the model. Quantitative prediction of ligand binding to different receptor species revealed that EGF binds to receptor monomers and dimers in an expression-level dependent manner without significant recruitment of monomers to dimers upon EGF stimulation below the phase transition temperature of the membrane. Results of the fitting offer unique insight into the workings of the EGFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tímea Hajdu
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tímea Váradi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Rebenku
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Kovács
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - János Szöllösi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,MTA-DE Cell Biology and Signaling Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Peter Nagy
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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11
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Ayati A, Moghimi S, Salarinejad S, Safavi M, Pouramiri B, Foroumadi A. A review on progression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors as an efficient approach in cancer targeted therapy. Bioorg Chem 2020; 99:103811. [PMID: 32278207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The identification of molecular agents inhibiting specific functions in cancer cells progression is considered as one of the most successful plans in cancer treatment. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) over-activation is observed in a vast number of cancers, so, targeting EGFR and its downstream signaling cascades are regarded as a rational and valuable approach in cancer therapy. Several synthetic EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been evaluated in recent years, mostly exhibited clinical efficacy in relevant models and categorized into first, second, third and fourth-generation. However, studies are still ongoing to find more efficient EGFR inhibitors in light of the resistance to the current inhibitors. In this review, the importance of targeting EGFR signaling pathway in cancer therapy and related epigenetic mutations are highlighted. The recent advances on the discovery and development of different EGFR inhibitors and the use of various therapeutic strategies such as multi-targeting agents and combination therapies have also been reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adileh Ayati
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Setareh Moghimi
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Salarinejad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Safavi
- Department of Biotechnology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3353-5111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behjat Pouramiri
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Foroumadi
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Leroux AE, Biondi RM. Renaissance of Allostery to Disrupt Protein Kinase Interactions. Trends Biochem Sci 2019; 45:27-41. [PMID: 31690482 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions often regulate the activity of protein kinases by allosterically modulating the conformation of the ATP-binding site. Bidirectional allostery implies that reverse modulation (i.e., from the ATP-binding site to the interaction and regulatory sites) must also be possible. Here, we review both the allosteric regulation of protein kinases and recent work describing how compounds binding at the ATP-binding site can promote or inhibit protein kinase interactions at regulatory sites via the reverse mechanism. Notably, the pharmaceutical industry has been developing compounds that bind to the ATP-binding site of protein kinases and potently disrupt protein-protein interactions between target protein kinases and their regulatory interacting partners. Learning to modulate allosteric processes will facilitate the development of protein-protein interaction modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro E Leroux
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
| | - Ricardo M Biondi
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), CONICET, Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina; Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany; DKTK German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Frankfurt, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Lypova N, Telang S, Chesney J, Imbert-Fernandez Y. Increased 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 activity in response to EGFR signaling contributes to non-small cell lung cancer cell survival. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:10530-10543. [PMID: 31126985 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Constitutive activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) because of somatic mutations of the EGFR gene is commonly observed in tumors of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Consequently, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting the EGFR are among the most effective therapies for patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. Clinical responses to the EGFR-targeting TKIs are evaluated through 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (18FDG)-PET uptake, which is decreased in patients responding favorably to therapy and is positively correlated with survival. Recent studies have reported that EGFR signaling drives glucose metabolism in NSCLC cells; however, the precise downstream effectors required for this EGFR-driven metabolic effect are largely unknown. 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB3) is an essential glycolytic regulator that is consistently overexpressed in lung cancer. Here, we found that PFKFB3 is an essential target of EGFR signaling and that PFKFB3 activation is required for glycolysis stimulation upon EGFR activation. We demonstrate that exposing NSCLC cells harboring either WT or mutated EGFR to EGF rapidly increases PFKFB3 phosphorylation, expression, and activity and that PFKFB3 inhibition markedly reduces the EGF-mediated increase in glycolysis. Furthermore, we found that prolonged NSCLC cell exposure to the TKI erlotinib drives PFKFB3 expression and that chemical PFKFB3 inhibition synergizes with erlotinib in increasing erlotinib's anti-proliferative activity in NSCLC cells. We conclude that PFKFB3 has a key role in mediating glucose metabolism and survival of NSCLC cells in response to EGFR signaling. These results support the potential clinical utility of using PFKFB3 inhibitors in combination with EGFR-TKIs to manage NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadiia Lypova
- From the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Sucheta Telang
- From the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Jason Chesney
- From the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Yoannis Imbert-Fernandez
- From the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play important roles in cell growth, motility, differentiation, and survival. These single-pass membrane proteins are grouped into subfamilies based on the similarity of their extracellular domains. They are generally thought to be activated by ligand binding, which promotes homodimerization and then autophosphorylation in trans. However, RTK interactions are more complicated, as RTKs can interact in the absence of ligand and heterodimerize within and across subfamilies. Here, we review the known cross-subfamily RTK heterointeractions and their possible biological implications, as well as the methodologies which have been used to study them. Moreover, we demonstrate how thermodynamic models can be used to study RTKs and to explain many of the complicated biological effects which have been described in the literature. Finally, we discuss the concept of the RTK interactome: a putative, extensive network of interactions between the RTKs. This RTK interactome can produce unique signaling outputs; can amplify, inhibit, and modify signaling; and can allow for signaling backups. The existence of the RTK interactome could provide an explanation for the irreproducibility of experimental data from different studies and for the failure of some RTK inhibitors to produce the desired therapeutic effects. We argue that a deeper knowledge of RTK interactome thermodynamics can lead to a better understanding of fundamental RTK signaling processes in health and disease. We further argue that there is a need for quantitative, thermodynamic studies that probe the strengths of the interactions between RTKs and their ligands and between different RTKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Paul
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and Program in Molecular Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
| | - Kalina Hristova
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and Program in Molecular Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
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Oncogenic mutations at the EGFR ectodomain structurally converge to remove a steric hindrance on a kinase-coupled cryptic epitope. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:10009-10018. [PMID: 31028138 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1821442116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is initiated by a large ligand-favored conformational change of the extracellular domain (ECD) from a closed, self-inhibited tethered monomer, to an open untethered state, which exposes a loop required for strong dimerization and activation. In glioblastomas (GBMs), structurally heterogeneous missense and deletion mutations concentrate at the ECD for unclear reasons. We explore the conformational impact of GBM missense mutations, combining elastic network models (ENMs) with multiple molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories. Our simulations reveal that the main missense class, located at the I-II interface away from the self-inhibitory tether, can unexpectedly favor spontaneous untethering to a compact intermediate state, here validated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Significantly, such intermediate is characterized by the rotation of a large ECD fragment (N-TR1), deleted in the most common GBM mutation, EGFRvIII, and that makes accessible a cryptic epitope characteristic of cancer cells. This observation suggested potential structural equivalence of missense and deletion ECD changes in GBMs. Corroborating this hypothesis, our FACS, in vitro, and in vivo data demonstrate that entirely different ECD variants all converge to remove N-TR1 steric hindrance from the 806-epitope, which we show is allosterically coupled to an intermediate kinase and hallmarks increased oncogenicity. Finally, the detected extraintracellular coupling allows for synergistic cotargeting of the intermediate with mAb806 and inhibitors, which is proved herein.
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