Ubiquitin ligase SMURF2 enhances epidermal growth factor receptor stability and tyrosine-kinase inhibitor resistance

Hakai, a novel Runx2 interacting protein, augments osteoblast differentiation by rescuing Runx2 from Smurf2-mediated proteasome degradation

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) is a key regulator of osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. In Runx2-deficient embryos, skeletal development ceases at the cartilage anlage stage. These embryos die of respiratory failure upon birth and display a complete absence of bone and cartilage mineralization. Here, we identified Hakai, a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase as a potential Runx2 interacting partner through affinity pulldown-based proteomic approach. Subsequently, we observed that similar to Runx2, Hakai was downregulated in osteopenic ovariectomized rats, suggesting its involvement in bone formation. Consistent with this observation, Hakai overexpression significantly enhanced osteoblast differentiation in mesenchyme-like C3H10T1/2 as well as primary rat calvaria osteoblast (RCO) cells in vitro. Conversely, overexpression of a catalytically inactive Hakai mutant (C109A) exhibited minimal to no effect, whereas Hakai depletion markedly reduced endogenous Runx2 levels and impaired osteogenic differentiation in both C3H10T1/2 and RCOs. Mechanistically, Hakai physically interacts with Runx2 and enhances its protein turnover by rescuing it from Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2)-mediated proteasome degradation. Wild-type Hakai but not Hakai-C109A inhibited Smurf2 protein levels through proteasome-mediated degradation. These findings underscore Hakai's functional role in bone formation, primarily through its positive modulation of Runx2 protein turnover by protecting it from Smurf2-mediated ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. Collectively, our results demonstrate Hakai as a promising novel therapeutic target for osteoporosis.

Advances of E3 ligases in lung cancer

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and the most common type of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer, which accounts for approximately 85 % of lung cancer diagnoses. Recent studies have revealed that ubiquitination acts as a crucial part of the development and progression of lung cancer. The E1-E2-E3 three-enzyme cascade has a core function in ubiquitination, so targeted adjustments of E3 ligases could be used in lung cancer treatment. Hence, we elucidate research advances in lung cancer-related E3 ligases by briefly describing the structure and categorization of E3 ligases. Here, we provide a detailed review of the mechanisms by which lung cancer-related E3 ligases modify substrate proteins and regulate signaling pathways to facilitate or suppress cancer progression. We hope to show a new perspective on targeted precision therapy for lung cancer.

E3 ubiquitin ligases in lung cancer: Emerging insights and therapeutic opportunities

Aim In this review, we have attempted to provide the readers with an updated account of the role of a family of proteins known as E3 ligases in different aspects of lung cancer progression, along with insights into the deregulation of expression of these proteins during lung cancer. A detailed account of the therapeutic strategies involving E3 ligases that have been developed or currently under development has also been provided in this review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The review article employs extensive literature search, along with differential gene expression analysis of lung cancer associated E3 ligases using the DESeq2 package in R, and the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/). Protein expression analysis of CPTAC lung cancer samples was carried out using the UALCAN webtool (https://ualcan.path.uab.edu/index.html). Assessment of patient overall survival (OS) in response to high and low expression of selected E3 ligases was performed using the online Kaplan-Meier plotter (https://kmplot.com/analysis/index.php?p=background). KEY FINDINGS: SIGNIFICANCE: The review provides an in-depth understanding of the role of E3 ligases in lung cancer progression and an up-to-date account of the different therapeutic strategies targeting oncogenic E3 ligases for improved lung cancer management.

Salivary protein kinase C alpha and novel microRNAs as diagnostic and therapeutic resistance markers for oral squamous cell carcinoma in Indian cohorts

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in India. Tobacco, alcohol, poor oral hygiene, and socio-economic factors remain causative for this high prevalence. Identification of non-invasive diagnostic markers tailored for Indian population can facilitate mass screening to reduce overall disease burden. Saliva offers non-invasive sampling and hosts a plethora of markers for OSCC diagnosis. Here, to capture the OSCC-specific salivary RNA markers suitable for Indian population, we performed RNA-sequencing of saliva from OSCC patients (n = 9) and normal controls (n = 5). Differential gene expression analysis detected an array of salivary RNAs including mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, transfer-RNAs, and microRNAs specific to OSCC. Computational analysis and functional predictions identified protein kinase c alpha (PRKCA), miR-6087, miR-449b-5p, miR-3656, miR-326, miR-146b-5p, and miR-497-5p as potential salivary indicators of OSCC. Notably, higher expression of PRKCA, miR-6087 and miR-449b-5p were found to be associated with therapeutic resistance and poor survival, indicating their prognostic potential. In addition, sequencing reads that did not map to the human genome, showed alignments with microbial reference genomes. Metagenomic and statistical analysis of these microbial reads revealed a remarkable microbial dysbiosis between OSCC patients and normal controls. Moreover, the differentially abundant microbial taxa showed a significant association with tumor promoting pathways including inflammation and oxidative stress. Summarily, we provide an integrated landscape of OSCC-specific salivary RNAs relevant to Indian population which can be instrumental in devising non-invasive diagnostics for OSCC.

TRAF4 hyperactivates HER2 signaling and contributes to Trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer

The HER2 receptor modulates downstream signaling by forming homodimers and heterodimers with other members of the HER family. For patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, Trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody as first-line therapy has shown significant survival benefits. However, the development of acquired resistance to Trastuzumab continues to be a significant obstacle. TNF receptor-associated factor 4 (TRAF4) upregulation was discovered to be associated with a worse clinical outcome. Here we identified TRAF4 overexpression as one of the putative mechanisms for HER2-positive breast cancer cells to maintain HER2 signaling during Trastuzumab treatment, while TRAF4 knockdown reduced HER2 stability and improved Trastuzumab sensitivity. Mechanistically, TRAF4 regulates HER2 level through its impact on SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase protein 2 (SMURF2). The development of a membrane-associated protein complex containing HER2, TRAF4, and SMURF2 has been observed. SMURF2 bound to the HER2 cytoplasmic domain, and directly ubiquitinated it leading to HER2 degradation, whereas TRAF4 stabilized HER2 by degrading SMURF2 and inhibiting the binding of SMURF2 to HER2. Moreover, downregulation of TRAF4 has decreased the AKT/mTOR signaling. In conclusion, we discovered a new HER2 signaling regulation that involves the TRAF4-SMURF2 complex, a possible mechanism that might contribute to anti-HER2 resistance, making TRAF4 a viable target for treating HER2 + breast cancer.

The Emerging Role of E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SMURF2 in the Regulation of Transcriptional Co-Repressor KAP1 in Untransformed and Cancer Cells and Tissues

Simple Summary

KAP1 plays an essential role in different molecular and cellular processes central to carcinogenesis, disease progression, and treatment response, revealing both tumor promoting and anticancer functions. The mechanisms that control the steady-state levels of KAP1 and its protein abundance are not well known. Our findings show that SMURF2, a ubiquitously-expressed HECT-type E3 ubiquitin ligase with suggested anticancer activities, is capable to directly bind, ubiquitinate, and regulate KAP1 expression levels in non-cancerous and tumor cells and tissues. The data further show that SMURF2 has a significant influence on KAP1 interactome, regulating its protein–protein interactions and functions in a catalytically-dependent manner. These findings reveal SMURF2 as a pivotal regulator of KAP1, laying a foundation for the investigation of the role of the SMURF2–KAP1 axis in carcinogenic processes and therapeutic responses to anticancer treatment.

Abstract

KAP1 is an essential nuclear factor acting as a scaffold for protein complexes repressing transcription. KAP1 plays fundamental role in normal and cancer cell biology, affecting cell proliferation, DNA damage response, genome integrity maintenance, migration and invasion, as well as anti-viral and immune response. Despite the foregoing, the mechanisms regulating KAP1 cellular abundance are poorly understood. In this study, we identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase SMURF2 as an important regulator of KAP1. We show that SMURF2 directly interacts with KAP1 and ubiquitinates it in vitro and in the cellular environment in a catalytically-dependent manner. Interestingly, while in the examined untransformed cells, SMURF2 mostly exerted a negative impact on KAP1 expression, a phenomenon that was also monitored in certain Smurf2-ablated mouse tissues, in tumor cells SMURF2 stabilized KAP1. This stabilization relied on the unaltered E3 ubiquitin ligase function of SMURF2. Further investigations showed that SMURF2 regulates KAP1 post-translationally, interfering with its proteasomal degradation. The conducted immunohistochemical studies showed that the reciprocal relationship between the expression of SMURF2 and KAP1 also exists in human normal and breast cancer tissues and suggested that this relationship may be disrupted by the carcinogenic process. Finally, through stratifying KAP1 interactome in cells expressing either SMURF2 wild-type or its E3 ligase-dead form, we demonstrate that SMURF2 has a profound impact on KAP1 protein–protein interactions and the associated functions, adding an additional layer in the SMURF2-mediated regulation of KAP1. Cumulatively, these findings uncover SMURF2 as a novel regulator of KAP1, governing its protein expression, interactions, and functions.

Challenge and countermeasures for EGFR targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer causes the highest mortality compared to other cancers in the world according to the latest WHO reports. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) contributes about 85% of total lung cancer cases. An extensive number of risk factors are attributed to the progression of lung cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), one of the most frequently mutant driver genes, is closely involved in the development of lung cancer through regulation of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways. As a representative of precision medicine, EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeted therapy significantly relieves the development of activating mutant EGFR-driven NSCLC. However, treatment with TKIs facilitates the emergence of acquired resistance that continues to pose a significant hurdle with respect to EGFR targeted therapy. In this review, the development of current approved EGFR-TKIs as well as the related supporting clinical trials are summarized and discussed. Mechanisms of action and resistance were addressed respectively, which serve as important guides to understanding acquired resistance. We also explored the corresponding combination treatment options according to different resistance mechanisms. Future challenges include more comprehensive characterization of unclear resistance mechanisms in different populations and the development of more efficient and precision synthetic therapeutic strategies.

UBCH5 Family Members Differentially Impact Stabilization of Mutant p53 via RNF128 Iso1 During Barrett's Progression to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

TP53 mutations underlie Barrett's esophagus (BE) progression to dysplasia and cancer. During BE progression, the ubiquitin ligase (E3) RNF128/GRAIL switches expression from isoform 2 (Iso2) to Iso1, stabilizing mutant p53. However, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) that partners with Iso1 to stabilize mutant p53 is unknown.

METHODS

Single-cell RNA sequencing of paired normal esophagus and BE tissues identified candidate E2s, further investigated in expression data from BE to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) progression samples. Biochemical and cellular studies helped clarify the role of RNF128-E2 on mutant p53 stability.

RESULTS

The UBE2D family member 2D3 (UBCH5C) is the most abundant E2 in normal esophagus. However, during BE to EAC progression, loss of UBE2D3 copy number and reduced expression of RNF128 Iso2 were noted, 2 known p53 degraders. In contrast, expression of UBE2D1 (UBCH5A) and RNF128 Iso1 in dysplastic BE and EAC forms an inactive E2-E3 complex, stabilizing mutant p53. To destabilize mutant p53, we targeted RNF128 Iso1 either by mutating asparagine (N48, 59, and 101) residues to block glycosylation to facilitate β-TrCP1-mediated degradation or by mutating proline (P54 and 105) residues to restore p53 polyubiquitinating ability. In addition, either loss of UBCH5A catalytic activity, or disruption of the Iso1-UBCH5A interaction promoted Iso1 loss. Consequently, overexpression of either catalytically dead or Iso1-binding-deficient UBCH5A mutants destabilized Iso1 to degrade mutant p53, thus compromising the clonogenic survival of mutant p53-dependent BE cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss of RNF128 Iso2-UBCH5C and persistence of the Iso1-UBCH5A complex favors mutant p53 stability to promote BE cell survival. Therefore, targeting of Iso1-UBCH5A may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent BE progression.

miR-4487 Enhances Gefitinib-Mediated Ubiquitination and Autophagic Degradation of EGFR in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Targeting USP37

Purpose

With the identification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are being used widely as the first-line of treatment in NSCLC. These inhibitors block auto-phosphorylation of activated EGFR by competing with ATP binding and mediate EGFR degradation independent of exogenous epidermal growth factor, which is associated with the mutation variants of EGFR. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the TKI-mediated EGFR degradation are still unclear.

Materials and Methods

To examine the physiological roles of miR-4487 and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 37 (USP37) in gefitinib-mediated EGFR degradation in NSCLC cells, multiple NSCLC cell lines were applied. The level of EGFR expression, apoptosis marker, and autophagic flux were determined by western blot. Expression level of miR-4487 and cell-cycle arrest was analyzed by TaqMan assay and flow cytometry respectively.

Results

We found that gefitinib mediates EGFR degradation under normal culture conditions, and is dependent on autophagic flux and the mutation variants of EGFR. Gefitinib reduced expression levels of USP37, which mediated EGFR degradation similar to gefitinib. Our results also showed a gefitinib-mediated increase in endogenous miR-4487 level and presented evidence for the direct targeting of USP37 by miR-4487, resulting in the sequential enhancement of ubiquitination, autophagy, and EGFR degradation. Thus, the depletion of USP37 and overexpression of miR-4487 led to an increase in gefitinib-mediated apoptotic cell death.

Conclusion

These data suggest that miR-4487 is a potential target for treating NSCLC, and miR-4487/USP37-regulated EGFR degradation is a determinant for developing gefitinib resistance.

Cooperation and Interplay between EGFR Signalling and Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis in Cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) takes centre stage in carcinogenesis throughout its entire cellular trafficking odyssey. When loaded in extracellular vesicles (EVs), EGFR is one of the key proteins involved in the transfer of information between parental cancer and bystander cells in the tumour microenvironment. To hijack EVs, EGFR needs to play multiple signalling roles in the life cycle of EVs. The receptor is involved in the biogenesis of specific EV subpopulations, it signals as an active cargo, and it can influence the uptake of EVs by recipient cells. EGFR regulates its own inclusion in EVs through feedback loops during disease progression and in response to challenges such as hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and drugs. Here, we highlight how the spatiotemporal rules that regulate EGFR intracellular function intersect with and influence different EV biogenesis pathways and discuss key regulatory features and interactions of this interplay. We also elaborate on outstanding questions relating to EGFR-driven EV biogenesis and available methods to explore them. This mechanistic understanding will be key to unravelling the functional consequences of direct anti-EGFR targeted and indirect EGFR-impacting cancer therapies on the secretion of pro-tumoural EVs and on their effects on drug resistance and microenvironment subversion.

Mechanism of intrinsic resistance of lung squamous cell carcinoma to epithelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors revealed by high-throughput RNA interference screening

Although targeted therapy has achieved a great breakthrough in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma, there are still no effective targeted drugs for lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC). In addition, as immunotherapy can only prolong the overall survival (OS) of lung SqCC by ≤5 months, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still the main types of therapy for advanced SqCC. The expression level of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) in patients with lung SqCC is higher compared with those with adenocarcinoma, but the former group is intrinsically resistant to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Therefore, if the drug resistance in patients with lung SqCC could be reversed, the majority of patients may benefit from EGFR-TKIs. In the present study, the high-throughput RNA interference technology was used to screen the genes involved in the EGFR-TKI erlotinib resistance of lung SqCCs, and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) was identified to be the most effective. The role of ILK in erlotinib resistance was further studied in cell lines, and the expression of ILK was analyzed in patients with SqCC and adenocarcinoma. Finally, the mechanism of ILK in EGFR-TKIs resistance was analyzed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO) and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). The results demonstrated that the ILK gene knockdown could overcome erlotinib resistance by inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis and blocking the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. The expression of ILK in patients with SqCC was significantly higher compared with those with adenocarcinoma with sensitizing EGFR mutations. In addition, the cell cycle pathway 'G2/M DNA damage and checkpoint regulation' was identified to be significantly inhibited by ILK knockdown in IPA, KEGG and GO analysis. The results of the present study may improve the understanding of EGFR-TKI resistance in lung SqCCs, thus promoting the development of potential targeted therapies for lung SqCCs.