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Malone CF, Kim M, Alexe G, Engel K, Forman AB, Robichaud A, Conway AS, Goodale A, Meyer A, Khalid D, Thayakumar A, Hatcher JM, Gray NS, Piccioni F, Stegmaier K. Transcriptional Antagonism by CDK8 Inhibition Improves Therapeutic Efficacy of MEK Inhibitors. Cancer Res 2023; 83:285-300. [PMID: 36398965 PMCID: PMC9938728 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-4309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant RAS/MAPK signaling is a common driver of oncogenesis that can be therapeutically targeted with clinically approved MEK inhibitors. Disease progression on single-agent MEK inhibitors is common, however, and combination therapies are typically required to achieve significant clinical benefit in advanced cancers. Here we focused on identifying MEK inhibitor-based combination therapies in neuroblastoma with mutations that activate the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, which are rare at diagnosis but frequent in relapsed neuroblastoma. A genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 functional genomic screen was deployed to identify genes that when knocked out sensitize RAS-mutant neuroblastoma to MEK inhibition. Loss of either CCNC or CDK8, two members of the mediator kinase module, sensitized neuroblastoma to MEK inhibition. Furthermore, small-molecule kinase inhibitors of CDK8 improved response to MEK inhibitors in vitro and in vivo in RAS-mutant neuroblastoma and other adult solid tumors. Transcriptional profiling revealed that loss of CDK8 or CCNC antagonized the transcriptional signature induced by MEK inhibition. When combined, loss of CDK8 or CCNC prevented the compensatory upregulation of progrowth gene expression induced by MEK inhibition. These findings propose a new therapeutic combination for RAS-mutant neuroblastoma and may have clinical relevance for other RAS-driven malignancies. SIGNIFICANCE Transcriptional adaptation to MEK inhibition is mediated by CDK8 and can be blocked by the addition of CDK8 inhibitors to improve response to MEK inhibitors in RAS-mutant neuroblastoma, a clinically challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare F. Malone
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Minjee Kim
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriela Alexe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen Engel
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra B. Forman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amanda Robichaud
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy Saur Conway
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy Goodale
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashleigh Meyer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Delan Khalid
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Allen Thayakumar
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John M. Hatcher
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 360 Longwood Ave, LC6102, Boston, MA, 02215. Phone: (617) 632-4438
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Ren M, Yang Y, Heng KHY, Ng LY, Chong CYY, Ng YT, Gorur-Shandilya S, Lee RMQ, Lim KL, Zhang J, Koh TW. MED13 and glycolysis are conserved modifiers of α-synuclein-associated neurodegeneration. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111852. [PMID: 36543134 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-syn) is important in synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). While genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of synucleinopathies have identified many risk loci, the underlying genes have not been shown for most loci. Using Drosophila, we screened 3,471 mutant chromosomes for genetic modifiers of α-synuclein and identified 12 genes. Eleven modifiers have human orthologs associated with diseases, including MED13 and CDC27, which lie within PD GWAS loci. Drosophila Skd/Med13 and glycolytic enzymes are co-upregulated by α-syn-associated neurodegeneration. While elevated α-syn compromises mitochondrial function, co-expressing skd/Med13 RNAi and α-syn synergistically increase the ratio of oxidized-to-reduced glutathione. The resulting neurodegeneration can be suppressed by overexpressing a glycolytic enzyme or treatment with deferoxamine, suggesting that compensatory glycolysis is neuroprotective. In addition, the functional relationship between α-synuclein, MED13, and glycolytic enzymes is conserved between flies and mice. We propose that hypoxia-inducible factor and MED13 are part of a druggable pathway for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengda Ren
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308207, Singapore; National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore 308433, Singapore
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital and School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310002, China
| | | | - Lu Yi Ng
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | | | - Yan Ting Ng
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | | | - Rachel Min Qi Lee
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Kah Leong Lim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308207, Singapore; National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore 308433, Singapore
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital and School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310002, China; China National Health and Disease Human Brain Tissue Resource Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310002, China
| | - Tong-Wey Koh
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
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Zhi X, Pu L, Wu B, Cui Y, Yu C, Dong Y, Li D, Cai C. Identification of two aberrant transcripts by RNA sequencing for a novel variant c.3354 + 5 G > A of MED12 in a Chinese girl with non-syndromic intellectual disability. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 532:137-144. [PMID: 35690084 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Missense variants in MED12 are associated with MED12-related disorders. We aimed to clarify the molecular level changes and underlying pathogenic mechanism of a female patient in our study. METHODS We reported a Chinese girl with clinical characteristics similar to MED12-related disorders. Trio whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify related pathogenic variant(s) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was subsequently applied to evaluate the effect of identified variant(s) on mRNA splicing. Moreover, X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) assay based on AR and RP2 was performed to reveal the XCI pattern of the female patient. RESULTS The proband manifested mainly as mental retardation and language impairment. Trio WES revealed a novel heterozygous variant c.3354 + 5 G > A in intron 23 of MED12. RNA-seq identified two aberrant transcripts. XCI assay on AR revealed a homozygous result, while XCI based on RP2 showed random pattern in peripheral blood. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we identified a novel variant c.3354 + 5 G > A by WES combined with RNA-seq, which extends the spectrum of MED12 variants and provide a basis for further genetic counseling. According to the result of two aberrant transcripts by RNA-seq, we speculate that our patient's milder clinical feature may be the consequence of multiple different transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Zhi
- Graduate College of Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Linjie Pu
- Graduate College of Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Children's Hospital, No. 238 Longyan Road, eichen District, Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Yaqiong Cui
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Changshun Yu
- Tianjin Kingmed Center for Clinical Laboratory Co. Ltd, Haitai Huake 5th Rd, Huayuan Industrial Park, High Tech Zone, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300392, China
| | - Yan Dong
- Graduate College of Tianjin Medical University, No. 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China
| | - Dong Li
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Children's Hospital, No. 238 Longyan Road, eichen District, Tianjin 300134, China.
| | - Chunquan Cai
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Tianjin University), No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, No. 238 Longyan Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300134, China.
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Venigalla S, Straub J, Idigo O, Rinderle C, Stephens JM, Newman JJ. MED12 Regulates Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Adipogenesis and Mediator Kinase Subunit Expression in Murine Adipose Depots. Stem Cells Dev 2022; 31:119-131. [PMID: 35018809 PMCID: PMC9206493 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2021.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mediator kinase module plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription during metabolic processes. Here we demonstrate that in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), kinase module subunits have distinct mRNA and protein expression profiles during different stages of adipogenesis. In addition, siRNA-mediated loss of MED12 results in decreased adipogenesis as evident through decreased lipid accumulation and decreased expression of PPARγ, a master regulator of adipogenesis. Moreover, the decrease in adipogenesis and reduced PPARγ expression are observed only during the early stages of MED12 knockdown. At later stages, knockdown of MED12 did not have any significant effects on adipogenesis or PPARγ expression. We also observed that MED12 was present in a protein complex with PPARγ and C/EBPα during all stages of adipogenesis in hASCs. In 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes, MED12 is present in protein complexes with PPARγ1, C/EBPα, and STAT5A. CDK8, another member of the kinase module, was only found to interact with C/EBPα. We found that the expression of all kinase module subunits decreased in inguinal, gonadal, and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT) depots in the fed state after an overnight fast, whereas the expression of kinase module subunits remained consistent in mesenteric WAT (mWAT) and brown adipose tissue. These data demonstrate that the kinase module undergoes physiologic regulation during fasting and feeding in specific mouse adipose tissue depots, and that MED12 likely plays a specific role in initiating and maintaining adipogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sree Venigalla
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA
| | - Joseph Straub
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA
| | - Onyekachi Idigo
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA
| | - Caroline Rinderle
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Jamie J. Newman
- School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA.,Address correspondence to: Dr. Jamie J. Newman, School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA 71272, USA
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van de Plassche SR, de Brouwer APM. MED12-Related (Neuro)Developmental Disorders: A Question of Causality. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:663. [PMID: 33925166 PMCID: PMC8146938 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MED12 is a member of the Mediator complex that is involved in the regulation of transcription. Missense variants in MED12 cause FG syndrome, Lujan-Fryns syndrome, and Ohdo syndrome, as well as non-syndromic intellectual disability (ID) in hemizygous males. Recently, female patients with de novo missense variants and de novo protein truncating variants in MED12 were described, resulting in a clinical spectrum centered around ID and Hardikar syndrome without ID. The missense variants are found throughout MED12, whether they are inherited in hemizygous males or de novo in females. They can result in syndromic or nonsyndromic ID. The de novo nonsense variants resulting in Hardikar syndrome that is characterized by facial clefting, pigmentary retinopathy, biliary anomalies, and intestinal malrotation, are found more N-terminally, whereas the more C-terminally positioned variants are de novo protein truncating variants that cause a severe, syndromic phenotype consisting of ID, facial dysmorphism, short stature, skeletal abnormalities, feeding difficulties, and variable other abnormalities. This broad range of distinct phenotypes calls for a method to distinguish between pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants in MED12. We propose an isogenic iNeuron model to establish the unique gene expression patterns that are associated with the specific MED12 variants. The discovery of these patterns would help in future diagnostics and determine the causality of the MED12 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arjan P. M. de Brouwer
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
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