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Xu J, Abdulsalam Khaleel R, Zaidan HK, Faisal Mutee A, Fahmi Fawy K, Gehlot A, Abbas AH, Arias Gonzáles JL, Amin AH, Ruiz-Balvin MC, Imannezhad S, Bahrami A, Akhavan-Sigari R. Discovery of common molecular signatures and drug repurposing for COVID-19/Asthma comorbidity: ACE2 and multi-partite networks. Cell Cycle 2024:1-30. [PMID: 38640424 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2024.2340859] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is identified as the functional receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the ongoing global coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to elucidate potential therapeutic avenues by scrutinizing approved drugs through the identification of the genetic signature associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with asthma. This exploration was conducted through an integrated analysis, encompassing interaction networks between the ACE2 receptor and common host (co-host) factors implicated in COVID-19/asthma comorbidity. The comprehensive analysis involved the identification of common differentially expressed genes (cDEGs) and hub-cDEGs, functional annotations, interaction networks, gene set variation analysis (GSVA), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and module construction. Interaction networks were used to identify overlapping disease modules and potential drug targets. Computational biology and molecular docking analyzes were utilized to discern functional drug modules. Subsequently, the impact of the identified drugs on the expression of hub-cDEGs was experimentally validated using a mouse model. A total of 153 cDEGs or co-host factors associated with ACE2 were identified in the COVID-19 and asthma comorbidity. Among these, seven significant cDEGs and proteins - namely, HRAS, IFNG, JUN, CDH1, TLR4, ICAM1, and SCD-were recognized as pivotal host factors linked to ACE2. Regulatory network analysis of hub-cDEGs revealed eight top-ranked transcription factors (TFs) proteins and nine microRNAs as key regulatory factors operating at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, respectively. Molecular docking simulations led to the proposal of 10 top-ranked repurposable drug molecules (Rapamycin, Ivermectin, Everolimus, Quercetin, Estradiol, Entrectinib, Nilotinib, Conivaptan, Radotinib, and Venetoclax) as potential treatment options for COVID-19 in individuals with comorbid asthma. Validation analysis demonstrated that Rapamycin effectively inhibited ICAM1 expression in the HDM-stimulated mice group (p < 0.01). This study unveils the common pathogenesis and genetic signature underlying asthma and SARS-CoV-2 infection, delineated by the interaction networks of ACE2-related host factors. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and discovery of drugs aimed at more effective therapeutics within the context of lung disease comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Xu
- College of Veterinary & Life Sciences, the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | | | - Khaled Fahmi Fawy
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anita Gehlot
- Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
| | | | - José Luis Arias Gonzáles
- Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ali H Amin
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | - Shima Imannezhad
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Bahrami
- Biomedical Center for Systems Biology Science Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Reza Akhavan-Sigari
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Health Care Management and Clinical Research, Collegium Humanum, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Nussinov R, Liu Y, Zhang W, Jang H. Protein conformational ensembles in function: roles and mechanisms. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:850-864. [PMID: 37920394 PMCID: PMC10619138 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00114h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The sequence-structure-function paradigm has dominated twentieth century molecular biology. The paradigm tacitly stipulated that for each sequence there exists a single, well-organized protein structure. Yet, to sustain cell life, function requires (i) that there be more than a single structure, (ii) that there be switching between the structures, and (iii) that the structures be incompletely organized. These fundamental tenets called for an updated sequence-conformational ensemble-function paradigm. The powerful energy landscape idea, which is the foundation of modernized molecular biology, imported the conformational ensemble framework from physics and chemistry. This framework embraces the recognition that proteins are dynamic and are always interconverting between conformational states with varying energies. The more stable the conformation the more populated it is. The changes in the populations of the states are required for cell life. As an example, in vivo, under physiological conditions, wild type kinases commonly populate their more stable "closed", inactive, conformations. However, there are minor populations of the "open", ligand-free states. Upon their stabilization, e.g., by high affinity interactions or mutations, their ensembles shift to occupy the active states. Here we discuss the role of conformational propensities in function. We provide multiple examples of diverse systems, including protein kinases, lipid kinases, and Ras GTPases, discuss diverse conformational mechanisms, and provide a broad outlook on protein ensembles in the cell. We propose that the number of molecules in the active state (inactive for repressors), determine protein function, and that the dynamic, relative conformational propensities, rather than the rigid structures, are the hallmark of cell life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Frederick MD 21702 USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA
| | - Yonglan Liu
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA
| | - Wengang Zhang
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Frederick MD 21702 USA
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute Frederick MD 21702 USA
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3
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Han N, Liu Z. Targeting alternative splicing in cancer immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1232146. [PMID: 37635865 PMCID: PMC10450511 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1232146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy has made great progress in cancer treatment but still faces several challenges, such as a limited number of targetable antigens and varying responses among patients. Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential process for the maturation of nearly all mammalian mRNAs. Recent studies show that AS contributes to expanding cancer-specific antigens and modulating immunogenicity, making it a promising solution to the above challenges. The organoid technology preserves the individual immune microenvironment and reduces the time/economic costs of the experiment model, facilitating the development of splicing-based immunotherapy. Here, we summarize three critical roles of AS in immunotherapy: resources for generating neoantigens, targets for immune-therapeutic modulation, and biomarkers to guide immunotherapy options. Subsequently, we highlight the benefits of adopting organoids to develop AS-based immunotherapies. Finally, we discuss the current challenges in studying AS-based immunotherapy in terms of existing bioinformatics algorithms and biological technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoqi Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Soshnikova NV, Simonov YP, Feoktistov AV, Khamidullina AI, Yastrebova MA, Bayramova DO, Tatarskiy VV, Georgieva SG. New Approach for Studying of Isoforms and High-Homology Proteins in Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12153. [PMID: 37569530 PMCID: PMC10419129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, a large number of proteins are expressed as more than one isoform, resulting in the increased diversity of their proteome. Understanding the functions of isoforms is very important, since individual isoforms of the same protein can have oncogenic or pathogenic properties, or serve as disease markers. The high homology of isoforms with ubiquitous expression makes it difficult to study them. In this work, we propose a new approach for the study of protein isoforms in mammalian cells, which makes it possible to individually detect and investigate the functions of an individual isoform. The approach was developed to study the functions of isoforms of the PHF10 protein, a chromatin subunit of the PBAF remodeling complex. We demonstrated the possibility of induced simultaneous suppression of all endogenous PHF10 isoforms and the expression of a single recombinant FLAG-tagged isoform. For this purpose, we created constructs based on the pSLIK plasmid with a cloned cassette containing the recombinant gene of interest and miR30 with the corresponding shRNAs. The doxycycline-induced activation of the cassette allows on and off switching. Using this construct, we achieved the preferential expression of only one recombinant PHF10 isoform with a simultaneously reduced number of all endogenous isoforms. Our approach can be used to study the role of point mutations, the functions of individual domains and important sites, or to individually detect untagged isoforms with knockdown of all endogenous isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya V. Soshnikova
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Yuriy P. Simonov
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Feoktistov
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alvina I. Khamidullina
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Margarita A. Yastrebova
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Darya O. Bayramova
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Victor V. Tatarskiy
- Department of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 34/5, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Sofia G. Georgieva
- Department of Transcription Factors, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov St. 32, Moscow 119991, Russia
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Kiyota N, Namekata K, Nishijima E, Guo X, Kimura A, Harada C, Nakazawa T, Harada T. Effects of constitutively active K-Ras on axon regeneration after optic nerve injury. Neurosci Lett 2023; 799:137124. [PMID: 36780941 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137124] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Visual disturbance after optic nerve injury is a serious problem. Attempts have been made to enhance the intrinsic ability of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to regenerate their axons, and the importance of PI3K/Akt and RAF/MEK/ERK signal activation has been suggested. Since these signals are shared with oncogenic signaling cascades, in this study, we focused on a constitutively active form of K-Ras, K-RasV12, to determine if overexpression of this molecule could stimulate axon regeneration. We confirmed that K-RasV12 phosphorylated Akt and ERK in vitro. Intravitreal delivery of AAV2-K-RasV12 increased the number of surviving RGCs and promoted 1.0 mm of axon regeneration one week after optic nerve injury without inducing abnormal proliferative effects in the RGCs. In addition, AAV2-K-RasV12 induced robust RGC axon regeneration, reaching as far as approximately 2.5 mm from the injury site, in eight weeks. Our findings suggest that AAV2-K-RasV12 could provide a good model for speedy and efficient analysis of the mechanism underlying axon regeneration in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kiyota
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Namekata
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Euido Nishijima
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsuko Kimura
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chikako Harada
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Nakazawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takayuki Harada
- Visual Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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6
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Mortazavipour MM, Mohamadalizadeh-Hanjani Z, Geranpayeh L, Mahdian R, Shahbazi S. K-Ras4A Plays a More Significant Role than K-Ras4B in Ductal Carcinoma of Breast. IRANIAN BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL 2023; 27:126-35. [PMID: 37070675 PMCID: PMC10314762 DOI: 10.61186/ibj.3857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Background K-Ras mutations rarely occur in breast cancer. However, studies have supported that K-Ras upregulation is involved in breast cancer pathogenesis. Two main K-Ras transcript variants; K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B, originate from the alternative splicing of exon 4. In this study, we aimed to evaluate variations in the expression of K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B and their role in breast ductal carcinoma. Methods Total RNA was extracted from breast tumors, and the NATs obtained via mastectomy. Patients were selected from new cases of breast cancer with no prior history of chemotherapy. Relative mRNA expression was calculated based on a pairwise comparison between the tumors and the NATs following normalization to the internal control gene. Predictive values of the transcript variants were examined by ROC curve analysis. Results A statistically significant increase was found in the K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B expression with the mean fold changes of 7.58 (p = 0.01) and 2.47 (p = 0.001), respectively. The K-Ras4A/K-Ras4B ratio was lower in the tumors than that of the normal tissues. ROC curve analysis revealed the potential of K-Ras4A (AUC: 0.769) and K-Ras4B (AUC: 0.688) in breast cancer prediction. There was also a significant association between K-Ras4B expression and HER2 statues (p = 0.04). Furthermore, a significant link was detected between K-Ras4A expression and pathological prognostic stages (p = 0.04). Conclusion Our findings revealed that expression levels of K-Ras4A and K-Ras4B is higher in the tumor compared to the normal breast tissues. Increase in K-Ras4A expression was more significant than that of K-Ras4B.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Loabat Geranpayeh
- Department of Surgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahdian
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shirin Shahbazi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Adams LM, DeHart CJ, Drown BS, Anderson LC, Bocik W, Boja ES, Hiltke TM, Hendrickson CL, Rodriguez H, Caldwell M, Vafabakhsh R, Kelleher NL. Mapping the KRAS proteoform landscape in colorectal cancer identifies truncated KRAS4B that decreases MAPK signaling. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102768. [PMID: 36470426 PMCID: PMC9808003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The KRAS gene is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancer and gives rise to two isoforms, KRAS4A and KRAS4B. KRAS post-translational modifications (PTMs) have the potential to influence downstream signaling. However, the relationship between KRAS PTMs and oncogenic mutations remains unclear, and the extent of isoform-specific modification is unknown. Here, we present the first top-down proteomics study evaluating both KRAS4A and KRAS4B, resulting in 39 completely characterized proteoforms across colorectal cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples. We determined which KRAS PTMs are present, along with their relative abundance, and that proteoforms of KRAS4A versus KRAS4B are differentially modified. Moreover, we identified a subset of KRAS4B proteoforms lacking the C185 residue and associated C-terminal PTMs. By confocal microscopy, we confirmed that this truncated GFP-KRAS4BC185∗ proteoform is unable to associate with the plasma membrane, resulting in a decrease in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway activation. Collectively, our study provides a reference set of functionally distinct KRAS proteoforms and the colorectal cancer contexts in which they are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Adams
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Caroline J. DeHart
- NCI RAS Initiative, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Bryon S. Drown
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Lissa C. Anderson
- Ion Cyclotron Resonance Program, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - William Bocik
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Emily S. Boja
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda Maryland, USA
| | - Tara M. Hiltke
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda Maryland, USA
| | | | - Henry Rodriguez
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Caldwell
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA,Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Reza Vafabakhsh
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Neil L. Kelleher
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA,Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA,For correspondence: Neil L. Kelleher
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8
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Pálfy G, Menyhárd DK, Ákontz‐Kiss H, Vida I, Batta G, Tőke O, Perczel A. The Importance of Mg 2+ -Free State in Nucleotide Exchange of Oncogenic K-Ras Mutants. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202201449. [PMID: 35781716 PMCID: PMC9804424 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201449] [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: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
For efficient targeting of oncogenic K-Ras interaction sites, a mechanistic picture of the Ras-cycle is necessary. Herein, we used NMR relaxation techniques and molecular dynamics simulations to decipher the role of slow dynamics in wild-type and three oncogenic P-loop mutants of K-Ras. Our measurements reveal a dominant two-state conformational exchange on the ms timescale in both GDP- and GTP-bound K-Ras. The identified low-populated higher energy state in GDP-loaded K-Ras has a conformation reminiscent of a nucleotide-bound/Mg2+ -free state characterized by shortened β2/β3-strands and a partially released switch-I region preparing K-Ras for the interaction with the incoming nucleotide exchange factor and subsequent reactivation. By providing insight into mutation-specific differences in K-Ras structural dynamics, our systematic analysis improves our understanding of prolonged K-Ras signaling and may aid the development of allosteric inhibitors targeting nucleotide exchange in K-Ras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Dóra K. Menyhárd
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Hanna Ákontz‐Kiss
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,Hevesy György PhD School of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - István Vida
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,Hevesy György PhD School of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
| | - Gyula Batta
- Structural Biology Research GroupDepartment of Organic ChemistryUniversity of Debrecen1 Egyetem térDebrecen4032Hungary
| | - Orsolya Tőke
- Laboratory for NMR SpectroscopyResearch Centre for Natural Sciences (RCNS)2 Magyar tudósok körútjaBudapest1117Hungary
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and BiologyInstitute of ChemistryEötvös Loránd University1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary,MTA-ELTE Protein Modeling Research GroupEötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH)1/a Pázmány Péter stny.Budapest1117Hungary
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Toulany M. Targeting K-Ras-mediated DNA damage response in radiation oncology: Current status, challenges and future perspectives. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2022; 38:6-14. [PMID: 36313934 PMCID: PMC9596599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 60% of cancer patients receive curative or palliative radiation. Despite the significant role of radiotherapy (RT) as a curative approach for many solid tumors, tumor recurrence occurs, partially because of intrinsic radioresistance. Accumulating evidence indicates that the success of RT is hampered by activation of the DNA damage response (DDR). The intensity of DDR signaling is affected by multiple parameters, e.g., loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes, gain-of-function mutations in protooncogenes as well as radiation-induced alterations in signal-transduction pathways. Therefore, the response to irradiation differs in tumors of different types, which makes the individualization of RT as a rational but challenging goal. One contributor to tumor cell radiation survival is signaling through the Ras pathway. Three RAS genes encode 4 Ras isoforms: K-Ras4A, K-Ras4B, H-Ras, and N-Ras. RAS family members are found to be mutated in approximately 19% of human cancers. Mutations in RAS lead to constitutive activation of the gene product and activation of multiple Ras-dependent signal-transduction cascades. Preclinical studies have shown that the expression of mutant KRAS affects DDR and increases cell survival after irradiation. Approximately 70% of RAS mutations occur in KRAS. Thus, applying targeted therapies directly against K-Ras as well as K-Ras upstream activators and downstream effectors might be a tumor-specific approach to overcome K-Ras-mediated RT resistance. In this review, the role of K-Ras in the activation of DDR signaling will be summarized. Recent progress in targeting DDR in KRAS-mutated tumors in combination with radiochemotherapy will be discussed.
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10
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Zhang Y, Weh KM, Howard CL, Riethoven JJ, Clarke JL, Lagisetty KH, Lin J, Reddy RM, Chang AC, Beer DG, Kresty LA. Characterizing isoform switching events in esophageal adenocarcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY - NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 29:749-768. [PMID: 36090744 PMCID: PMC9437810 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Isoform switching events with predicted functional consequences are common in many cancers, but characterization of switching events in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is lacking. Next-generation sequencing was used to detect levels of RNA transcripts and identify specific isoforms in treatment-naïve esophageal tissues ranging from premalignant Barrett’s esophagus (BE), BE with low- or high-grade dysplasia (BE.LGD, BE.HGD), and EAC. Samples were stratified by histopathology and TP53 mutation status, identifying significant isoform switching events with predicted functional consequences. Comparing BE.LGD with BE.HGD, a histopathology linked to cancer progression, isoform switching events were identified in 75 genes including KRAS, RNF128, and WRAP53. Stratification based on TP53 status increased the number of significant isoform switches to 135, suggesting switching events affect cellular functions based on TP53 mutation and tissue histopathology. Analysis of isoforms agnostic, exclusive, and shared with mutant TP53 revealed unique signatures including demethylation, lipid and retinoic acid metabolism, and glucuronidation, respectively. Nearly half of isoform switching events were identified without significant gene-level expression changes. Importantly, two TP53-interacting isoforms, RNF128 and WRAP53, were significantly linked to patient survival. Thus, analysis of isoform switching events may provide new insight for the identification of prognostic markers and inform new potential therapeutic targets for EAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Katherine M. Weh
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Connor L. Howard
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jean-Jack Riethoven
- Nebraska Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Clarke
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Kiran H. Lagisetty
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jules Lin
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Rishindra M. Reddy
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Andrew C. Chang
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David G. Beer
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Laura A. Kresty
- Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Corresponding author Laura A. Kresty, PhD, Department of Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Immunity could be viewed as the common factor in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. The immune and nervous systems coevolve as the embryo develops. Immunity can release cytokines that activate MAPK signaling in neural cells. In specific embryonic brain cell types, dysregulated signaling that results from germline or embryonic mutations can promote changes in chromatin organization and gene accessibility, and thus expression levels of essential genes in neurodevelopment. In cancer, dysregulated signaling can emerge from sporadic somatic mutations during human life. Neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer share similarities. In neurodevelopmental disorders, immunity, and cancer, there appears an almost invariable involvement of small GTPases (e.g., Ras, RhoA, and Rac) and their pathways. TLRs, IL-1, GIT1, and FGFR signaling pathways, all can be dysregulated in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. Although there are signaling similarities, decisive differentiating factors are timing windows, and cell type specific perturbation levels, pointing to chromatin reorganization. Finally, we discuss drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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12
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Xu Q, Zhang G, Liu Q, Li S, Zhang Y. Inhibitors of the GTPase KRASG12C in cancer: a patent review (2019-2021). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2022; 32:475-505. [PMID: 35062845 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2022.2032648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qifu Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
| | - Guozhen Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
| | - Shunda Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
| | - Yingjie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Wenhua Road, Ji’nan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
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13
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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Jang H. Signaling in the crowded cell. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:43-50. [PMID: 34218161 PMCID: PMC8648894 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution technologies have clarified some of the principles underlying cellular actions. However, understanding how cells receive, communicate, and respond to signals is still challenging. Questions include how efficient regulation of assemblies, which execute cell actions at the nanoscales, transmits productively at micrometer scales, especially considering the crowded environment, and how the cell organization makes it happen. Here, we describe how cells can navigate long-range diffusion-controlled signaling via association/dissociation of spatially proximal entities. Dynamic clusters can span the cell, engaging in most signaling steps. Effective local concentration, allostery, scaffolding, affinities, and the chemical and mechanical properties of the macromolecules and the environment play key roles. Signaling strength and duration matter, for example, deciding if a mutation promotes cancer or developmental syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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14
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Aran V. K-RAS4A: Lead or Supporting Role in Cancer Biology? Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:729830. [PMID: 34604308 PMCID: PMC8479197 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.729830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The RAS oncogene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer, with K-RAS having a leading role in tumorigenesis. K-RAS undergoes alternative splicing, and as a result its transcript generates two gene products K-RAS4A and K-RAS4B, which are affected by the same oncogenic mutations, are highly homologous, and are expressed in a variety of human tissues at different levels. In addition, both isoforms localise to the plasma membrane by distinct targeting motifs. While some evidence suggests nonredundant functions for both splice variants, most work to date has focused on K-RAS4B, or even just K-RAS (i.e., without differentiating between the splice variants). This review aims to address the most relevant evidence published regarding K-RAS4A and to discuss if this “minor” isoform could also play a leading role in cancer, concluding that a significant body of evidence supports a leading role rather than a supporting (or secondary) role for K-RAS4A in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Aran
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Do Cérebro, Instituto Estadual Do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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15
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Teo MYM, Fong JY, Lim WM, In LLA. Current Advances and Trends in KRAS Targeted Therapies for Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:30-44. [PMID: 34462329 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS) gene somatic point mutations is one of the most prominently mutated proto-oncogenes known to date, and accounts for approximately 60% of all colorectal cancer cases. One of the most exciting drug development areas against colorectal cancer is the targeting of undruggable kinases and kinase-substrate molecules, although whether and how they can be integrated with other therapies remains a question. Current clinical trial data have provided supporting evidence on the use of combination treatment involving MEK inhibitors and either one of the PI3K inhibitors for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to avoid the development of resistance and provide effective therapeutic outcome rather than using a single agent alone. Many clinical trials are also ongoing to evaluate different combinations of these pathway inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy for patients with colorectal cancer whose current palliative treatment options are limited. Nevertheless, continued assessment of these targeted cancer therapies will eventually allow patients with colorectal cancer to be treated using a personalized medicine approach. In this review, the most recent scientific approaches and clinical trials targeting KRAS mutations directly or indirectly for the management of colorectal cancer are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Yee Mun Teo
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jung Yin Fong
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wan Ming Lim
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lionel Lian Aun In
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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16
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Coley AB, Ward A, Keeton AB, Chen X, Maxuitenko Y, Prakash A, Li F, Foote JB, Buchsbaum DJ, Piazza GA. Pan-RAS inhibitors: Hitting multiple RAS isozymes with one stone. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 153:131-168. [PMID: 35101229 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the three RAS oncogenes are present in approximately 30% of all human cancers that drive tumor growth and metastasis by aberrant activation of RAS-mediated signaling. Despite the well-established role of RAS in tumorigenesis, past efforts to develop small molecule inhibitors have failed for various reasons leading many to consider RAS as "undruggable." Advances over the past decade with KRAS(G12C) mutation-specific inhibitors have culminated in the first FDA-approved RAS drug, sotorasib. However, the patient population that stands to benefit from KRAS(G12C) inhibitors is inherently limited to those patients harboring KRAS(G12C) mutations. Additionally, both intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance have been reported that indicate allele-specificity may afford disadvantages. For example, the compensatory activation of uninhibited wild-type (WT) NRAS and HRAS isozymes can rescue cancer cells harboring KRAS(G12C) mutations from allele-specific inhibition or the occurrence of other mutations in KRAS. It is therefore prudent to consider alternative drug discovery strategies that may overcome these potential limitations. One such approach is pan-RAS inhibition, whereby all RAS isozymes co-expressed in the tumor cell population are targeted by a single inhibitor to block constitutively activated RAS regardless of the underlying mutation. This chapter provides a review of past and ongoing strategies to develop pan-RAS inhibitors in detail and seeks to outline the trajectory of this promising strategy of RAS inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B Coley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States; Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Antonio Ward
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States; Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Adam B Keeton
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Yulia Maxuitenko
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Aishwarya Prakash
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Jeremy B Foote
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Donald J Buchsbaum
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Gary A Piazza
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.
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17
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Nussinov R, Zhang M, Maloney R, Jang H. Ras isoform-specific expression, chromatin accessibility, and signaling. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:489-505. [PMID: 34466166 PMCID: PMC8355297 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00817-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The anchorage of Ras isoforms in the membrane and their nanocluster formations have been studied extensively, including their detailed interactions, sizes, preferred membrane environments, chemistry, and geometry. However, the staggering challenge of their epigenetics and chromatin accessibility in distinct cell states and types, which we propose is a major factor determining their specific expression, still awaits unraveling. Ras isoforms are distinguished by their C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) which acts in intracellular transport, regulation, and membrane anchorage. Here, we review some isoform-specific activities at the plasma membrane from a structural dynamic standpoint. Inspired by physics and chemistry, we recognize that understanding functional specificity requires insight into how biomolecules can organize themselves in different cellular environments. Within this framework, we suggest that isoform-specific expression may largely be controlled by the chromatin density and physical compaction, which allow (or curb) access to "chromatinized DNA." Genes are preferentially expressed in tissues: proteins expressed in pancreatic cells may not be equally expressed in lung cells. It is the rule-not an exception, and it can be at least partly understood in terms of chromatin organization and accessibility state. Genes are expressed when they can be sufficiently exposed to the transcription machinery, and they are less so when they are persistently buried in dense chromatin. Notably, chromatin accessibility can similarly determine expression of drug resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Ryan Maloney
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
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18
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Alternative splicing of mRNA in colorectal cancer: new strategies for tumor diagnosis and treatment. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:752. [PMID: 34330892 PMCID: PMC8324868 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04031-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is an important event that contributes to posttranscriptional gene regulation. This process leads to several mature transcript variants with diverse physiological functions. Indeed, disruption of various aspects of this multistep process, such as cis- or trans- factor alteration, promotes the progression of colorectal cancer. Therefore, targeting some specific processes of AS may be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the AS events related to colorectal cancer based on research done in the past 5 years. We focus on the mechanisms and functions of variant products of AS that are relevant to malignant hallmarks, with an emphasis on variants with clinical significance. In addition, novel strategies for exploiting the therapeutic value of AS events are discussed.
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19
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Herdeis L, Gerlach D, McConnell DB, Kessler D. Stopping the beating heart of cancer: KRAS reviewed. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:136-147. [PMID: 34303932 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
It has taken four decades of research to see the first major breakthrough for KRAS-driven cancers. In particular, the last decade has seen a paradigm shift with the discovery of druggable pockets on KRAS and clinical efficacy with covalent KRASG12C inhibitors, culminating in the first approval of sotorasib monotherapy as second-line treatment in KRASG12C-driven non-small-cell lung cancer. Nevertheless, 85% of all KRAS-mutated cancers still lack novel agents. In this review, we will outline the structure, function, and post-translational modifications of KRAS and highlight the various approaches being adopted to drug KRAS, ranging from selective to pan concepts. The range of molecular modalities being explored, including PROTACs and glues, will also be described. Finally, an outlook toward the next wave of KRAS drugs and the challenges of resistance will be given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Herdeis
- Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Gerlach
- Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Darryl B McConnell
- Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dirk Kessler
- Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria.
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20
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Zhao J, Galvez C, Beckermann KE, Johnson DB, Sosman JA. Novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of NRAS mutant melanoma. EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2021; 6:281-294. [PMID: 34485698 PMCID: PMC8415440 DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2021.1938545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION NRAS was the first mutated oncogene identified in melanoma and is currently the second most common driver mutation in this malignancy. For patients with NRASmutant advanced stage melanoma refractory to immunotherapy or with contraindications to immune-based regimens, there are few therapeutic options including low-efficacy chemotherapy regimens and binimetinib monotherapy. Here, we review recent advances in preclinical studies of molecular targets for NRAS mutant melanoma as well as the failures and successes of early-phase clinical trials. While there are no targeted therapies for NRAS-driven melanoma, there is great promise in approaches combining MEK inhibition with inhibitors of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK), inhibitors of autophagy pathways, and pan-RAF inhibitors. AREAS COVERED This review surveys new developments in all aspects of disease pathogenesis and potential treatment - including those that have failed, stalled, or progressed through various phases of preclinical and clinical development. EXPERT OPINION There are no currently approved targeted therapies for BRAF wild-type melanoma patients harboring NRAS driver mutations though an array of agents are in early phase clinical trials. The diverse strategies taken exploit combined MAP kinase signaling blockade with inhibition of cell cycle mediators, inhibition of the autophagy pathway, and alteration of kinases involved in actin cytoskeleton signaling. Future advances of developmental therapeutics into late stage trials may yield new options beyond immunotherapy for patients with advanced stage disease and NRAS mutation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Zhao
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
| | - Carlos Galvez
- Northwestern Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Kathryn Eby Beckermann
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, 1301 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, 37232, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, 1301 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, 37232, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Sosman
- Northwestern Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
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21
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Adams LM, DeHart CJ, Kelleher NL. Precise Characterization of KRAS4B Proteoforms by Combining Immunoprecipitation with Top-Down Mass Spectrometry. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2262:47-64. [PMID: 33977470 PMCID: PMC8543976 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1190-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of biologically relevant post-translational modifications (PTMs) on KRAS4B has historically been carried out through methodologies such as immunoblotting with PTM-specific antibodies or peptide-based proteomic methods. While these methods have the potential to identify a given PTM on KRAS4B, they are incapable of characterizing or distinguishing the different molecular forms or proteoforms of KRAS4B from those of related RAS isoforms. We present a method that combines immunoprecipitation of KRAS4B with top-down mass spectrometry (IP-TDMS), thus enabling the precise characterization of intact KRAS4B proteoforms. We provide detailed protocols for the IP, LC-MS/MS, and data analysis comprising a successful IP-TDMS assay in the contexts of cancer cell lines and tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Adams
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Caroline J DeHart
- NCI RAS Initiative, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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22
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Li X, Lu Y, Ou X, Zeng S, Wang Y, Qi X, Zhu L, Liu Z. Changes and sex- and age-related differences in the expression of drug metabolizing enzymes in a KRAS-mutant mouse model of lung cancer. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10182. [PMID: 33240601 PMCID: PMC7680056 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to systematically profile the alterations and sex- and age-related differences in the drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) in a KRAS-mutant mouse model of lung cancer (KRAS mice). Methodology In this study, the LC-MS/MS approach and a probe substrate method were used to detect the alterations in 21 isoforms of DMEs, as well as the enzymatic activities of five isoforms, respectively. Western blotting was applied to study the protein expression of four related receptors. Results The proteins contents of CYP2C29 and CYP3A11, were significantly downregulated in the livers of male KRAS mice at 26 weeks (3.7- and 4.4-fold, respectively, p < 0.05). SULT1A1 and SULT1D1 were upregulated by 1.8- to 7.0- fold at 20 (p = 0.015 and 0.017, respectively) and 26 weeks (p = 0.055 and 0.031, respectively). There were positive correlations between protein expression and enzyme activity for CYP2E1, UGT1A9, SULT1A1 and SULT1D1 (r2 ≥ 0.5, p < 0.001). Western blotting analysis revealed the downregulation of AHR, FXR and PPARα protein expression in male KRAS mice at 26 weeks. For sex-related differences, CYP2E1 was male-predominant and UGT1A2 was female-predominant in the kidney. UGT1A1 and UGT1A5 expression was female-predominant, whereas UGT2B1 exhibited male-predominant expression in liver tissue. For the tissue distribution of DMEs, 21 subtypes of DMEs were all expressed in liver tissue. In the intestine, the expression levels of CYP2C29, CYP27A1, UGT1A2, 1A5, 1A6a, 1A9, 2B1, 2B5 and 2B36 were under the limitation of quantification. The subtypes of CYP7A1, 1B1, 2E1 and UGT1A1, 2A3, 2B34 were detected in kidney tissue. Conclusions This study, for the first time, unveils the variations and sex- and age-related differences in DMEs in C57 BL/6 (WT) mice and KRAS mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Li
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyan Lu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Ou
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sijing Zeng
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Qi
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijun Zhu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongqiu Liu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
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23
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Natural Products Attenuating Biosynthesis, Processing, and Activity of Ras Oncoproteins: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10111535. [PMID: 33182807 PMCID: PMC7698260 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS genes encode signaling proteins, which, in mammalian cells, act as molecular switches regulating critical cellular processes as proliferation, growth, differentiation, survival, motility, and metabolism in response to specific stimuli. Deregulation of Ras functions has a high impact on human health: gain-of-function point mutations in RAS genes are found in some developmental disorders and thirty percent of all human cancers, including the deadliest. For this reason, the pathogenic Ras variants represent important clinical targets against which to develop novel, effective, and possibly selective pharmacological inhibitors. Natural products represent a virtually unlimited resource of structurally different compounds from which one could draw on for this purpose, given the improvements in isolation and screening of active molecules from complex sources. After a summary of Ras proteins molecular and regulatory features and Ras-dependent pathways relevant for drug development, we point out the most promising inhibitory approaches, the known druggable sites of wild-type and oncogenic Ras mutants, and describe the known natural compounds capable of attenuating Ras signaling. Finally, we highlight critical issues and perspectives for the future selection of potential Ras inhibitors from natural sources.
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24
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Assi M, Pirlot B, Stroobant V, Thissen JP, Jacquemin P. A Novel KRAS Antibody Highlights a Regulation Mechanism of Post-Translational Modifications of KRAS during Tumorigenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176361. [PMID: 32887255 PMCID: PMC7504708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
KRAS is a powerful oncogene responsible for the development of many cancers. Despite the great progress in understanding its function during the last decade, the study of KRAS expression, subcellular localization, and post-translational modifications remains technically challenging. Accordingly, many facets of KRAS biology are still unknown. Antibodies could be an effective and easy-to-use tool for in vitro and in vivo research on KRAS. Here, we generated a novel rabbit polyclonal antibody that allows immunolabeling of cells and tissues overexpressing KRAS. Cell transfection experiments with expression vectors for the members of the RAS family revealed a preferential specificity of this antibody for KRAS. In addition, KRAS was sensitively detected in a mouse tissue electroporated with an expression vector. Interestingly, our antibody was able to detect endogenous forms of unprenylated (immature) and prenylated (mature) KRAS in mouse organs. We found that KRAS prenylation was increased ex vivo and in vivo in a model of KRASG12D-driven tumorigenesis, which was concomitant with an induction of expression of essential KRAS prenylation enzymes. Therefore, our tool helped us to put the light on new regulations of KRAS activation during cancer initiation. The use of this tool by the RAS community could contribute to discovering novel aspects of KRAS biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Assi
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (P.J.); Tel.: +32-2764-75-31 (M.A. & P.J.)
| | - Boris Pirlot
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (B.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Vincent Stroobant
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Jean-Paul Thissen
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (B.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Patrick Jacquemin
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (P.J.); Tel.: +32-2764-75-31 (M.A. & P.J.)
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25
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Abstract
One of the mechanisms potentially explaining the discrepancy between the number of human genes and the functional complexity of organisms is generating alternative splice variants, an attribute of the vast majority of multi-exon genes. Members of the RAS family, such as NRAS, KRAS and HRAS, all of which are of significant importance in cancer biology, are no exception. The structural and functional differences of these splice variants, particularly if they contain the canonical (and therefore routinely targeted for diagnostic purposes) hot spot mutations, pose a significant challenge for targeted therapies. We must therefore consider whether these alternative splice variants constitute a minor component as originally thought and how therapies targeting the canonical isoforms affect these alternative splice variants and their overall functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erzsébet Rásó
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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26
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Pleiotropic Roles of Calmodulin in the Regulation of KRas and Rac1 GTPases: Functional Diversity in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103680. [PMID: 32456244 PMCID: PMC7279331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Calmodulin is a ubiquitous signalling protein that controls many biological processes due to its capacity to interact and/or regulate a large number of cellular proteins and pathways, mostly in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This complex interactome of calmodulin can have pleiotropic molecular consequences, which over the years has made it often difficult to clearly define the contribution of calmodulin in the signal output of specific pathways and overall biological response. Most relevant for this review, the ability of calmodulin to influence the spatiotemporal signalling of several small GTPases, in particular KRas and Rac1, can modulate fundamental biological outcomes such as proliferation and migration. First, direct interaction of calmodulin with these GTPases can alter their subcellular localization and activation state, induce post-translational modifications as well as their ability to interact with effectors. Second, through interaction with a set of calmodulin binding proteins (CaMBPs), calmodulin can control the capacity of several guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) to promote the switch of inactive KRas and Rac1 to an active conformation. Moreover, Rac1 is also an effector of KRas and both proteins are interconnected as highlighted by the requirement for Rac1 activation in KRas-driven tumourigenesis. In this review, we attempt to summarize the multiple layers how calmodulin can regulate KRas and Rac1 GTPases in a variety of cellular events, with biological consequences and potential for therapeutic opportunities in disease settings, such as cancer.
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27
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Wang Y, Lu H, Fang C, Xu J. Palmitoylation as a Signal for Delivery. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1248:399-424. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-3266-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Post JB, Roodhart JML, Snippert HJG. Colorectal Cancer Modeling with Organoids: Discriminating between Oncogenic RAS and BRAF Variants. Trends Cancer 2020; 6:111-129. [PMID: 32061302 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RAS and BRAF proteins are frequently mutated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and have been associated with therapy resistance in metastatic CRC patients. RAS isoforms are considered to act as redundant entities in physiological and pathological settings. However, there is compelling evidence that mutant variants of RAS and BRAF have different oncogenic potentials and therapeutic outcomes. In this review we describe similarities and differences between various RAS and BRAF oncogenes in CRC development, histology, and therapy resistance. In addition, we discuss the potential of patient-derived tumor organoids for personalized therapy, as well as CRC modeling using genome editing in preclinical model systems to study similarities and discrepancies between the effects of oncogenic MAPK pathway mutations on tumor growth and drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin B Post
- Molecular Cancer Research, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; Oncode Institute Netherlands, Office Jaarbeurs Innovation Mile, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeanine M L Roodhart
- Department of Medical Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Oncode Institute Netherlands, Office Jaarbeurs Innovation Mile, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo J G Snippert
- Molecular Cancer Research, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; Oncode Institute Netherlands, Office Jaarbeurs Innovation Mile, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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29
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Méant A, Gao B, Lavoie G, Nourreddine S, Jung F, Aubert L, Tcherkezian J, Gingras AC, Roux PP. Proteomic Analysis Reveals a Role for RSK in p120-catenin Phosphorylation and Melanoma Cell-Cell Adhesion. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:50-64. [PMID: 31678930 PMCID: PMC6944238 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra119.001811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway regulates various biological functions, including cell survival, proliferation and migration. This pathway is frequently deregulated in cancer, including melanoma, which is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. RSK (p90 ribosomal S6 kinase) is a MAPK-activated protein kinase required for melanoma growth and proliferation, but relatively little is known about its function and the nature of its cellular partners. In this study, we used a proximity-based labeling approach to identify RSK proximity partners in cells. We identified many potential RSK-interacting proteins, including p120ctn (p120-catenin), which is an essential component of adherens junction (AJ). We found that RSK phosphorylates p120ctn on Ser320, which appears to be constitutively phosphorylated in melanoma cells. We also found that RSK inhibition increases melanoma cell-cell adhesion, suggesting that constitutive RAS/MAPK signaling negatively regulates AJ integrity. Together, our results indicate that RSK plays an important role in the regulation of melanoma cell-cell adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Méant
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Beichen Gao
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Lavoie
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sami Nourreddine
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Flora Jung
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Léo Aubert
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph Tcherkezian
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Philippe P Roux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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30
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Galectin-8 binds to the Farnesylated C-terminus of K-Ras4B and Modifies Ras/ERK Signaling and Migration in Pancreatic and Lung Carcinoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010030. [PMID: 31861875 PMCID: PMC7017085 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
K-Ras is the most prominent driver of oncogenesis and no effective K-Ras inhibitors have been established despite decades of intensive research. Identifying new K-Ras-binding proteins and their interaction domains offers the opportunity for defining new approaches in tackling oncogenic K-Ras. We have identified Galectin-8 as a novel, direct binding protein for K-Ras4B by mass spectrometry analyses and protein interaction studies. Galectin-8 is a tandem-repeat Galectin and it is widely expressed in lung and pancreatic carcinoma cells. siRNA-mediated depletion of Galectin-8 resulted in increased K-Ras4B content and ERK1/2 activity in lung and pancreatic carcinoma cells. Moreover, cell migration and cell proliferation were inhibited by the depletion of Galectin-8. The K-Ras4B–Galectin-8 interaction is indispensably associated with the farnesylation of K-Ras4B. The lysine-rich polybasic domain (PBD), a region that is unique for K-Ras4B as compared to H- and N-Ras, stabilizes the interaction and accounts for the specificity. Binding assays with the deletion mutants of Galectin-8, comprising either of the two carbohydrate recognition domains (CRD), revealed that K-Ras4B only interacts with the N-CRD, but not with the C-CRD. Structural modeling uncovers a potential binding pocket for the hydrophobic farnesyl chain of K-Ras4B and a cluster of negatively charged amino acids for interaction with the positively charged lysine residues in the N-CRD. Our results demonstrate that Galectin-8 is a new binding partner for K-Ras4B and it interacts via the N-CRD with the farnesylated PBD of K-Ras, thereby modulating the K-Ras effector pathways as well as cell proliferation and migration.
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31
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Computer-aided drug repurposing for cancer therapy: Approaches and opportunities to challenge anticancer targets. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 68:59-74. [PMID: 31562957 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite huge efforts made in academic and pharmaceutical worldwide research, current anticancer therapies achieve effective treatment in a limited number of neoplasia cases only. Oncology terms such as big killers - to identify tumours with yet a high mortality rate - or undruggable cancer targets, and chemoresistance, represent the current therapeutic debacle of cancer treatments. In addition, metastases, tumour microenvironments, tumour heterogeneity, metabolic adaptations, and immunotherapy resistance are essential features controlling tumour response to therapies, but still, lack effective therapeutics or modulators. In this scenario, where the pharmaceutical productivity and drug efficacy in oncology seem to have reached a plateau, the so-called drug repurposing - i.e. the use of old drugs, already in clinical use, for a different therapeutic indication - is an appealing strategy to improve cancer therapy. Opportunities for drug repurposing are often based on occasional observations or on time-consuming pre-clinical drug screenings that are often not hypothesis-driven. In contrast, in-silico drug repurposing is an emerging, hypothesis-driven approach that takes advantage of the use of big-data. Indeed, the extensive use of -omics technologies, improved data storage, data meaning, machine learning algorithms, and computational modeling all offer unprecedented knowledge of the biological mechanisms of cancers and drugs' modes of action, providing extensive availability for both disease-related data and drugs-related data. This offers the opportunity to generate, with time and cost-effective approaches, computational drug networks to predict, in-silico, the efficacy of approved drugs against relevant cancer targets, as well as to select better responder patients or disease' biomarkers. Here, we will review selected disease-related data together with computational tools to be exploited for the in-silico repurposing of drugs against validated targets in cancer therapies, focusing on the oncogenic signaling pathways activation in cancer. We will discuss how in-silico drug repurposing has the promise to shortly improve our arsenal of anticancer drugs and, likely, overcome certain limitations of modern cancer therapies against old and new therapeutic targets in oncology.
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32
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Mottini C, Tomihara H, Carrella D, Lamolinara A, Iezzi M, Huang JK, Amoreo CA, Buglioni S, Manni I, Robinson FS, Minelli R, Kang Y, Fleming JB, Kim MP, Bristow CA, Trisciuoglio D, Iuliano A, Del Bufalo D, Di Bernardo D, Melisi D, Draetta GF, Ciliberto G, Carugo A, Cardone L. Predictive Signatures Inform the Effective Repurposing of Decitabine to Treat KRAS-Dependent Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2019; 79:5612-5625. [PMID: 31492820 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mutated KRAS protein is a pivotal tumor driver in pancreatic cancer. However, despite comprehensive efforts, effective therapeutics that can target oncogenic KRAS are still under investigation or awaiting clinical approval. Using a specific KRAS-dependent gene signature, we implemented a computer-assisted inspection of a drug-gene network to in silico repurpose drugs that work like inhibitors of oncogenic KRAS. We identified and validated decitabine, an FDA-approved drug, as a potent inhibitor of growth in pancreatic cancer cells and patient-derived xenograft models that showed KRAS dependency. Mechanistically, decitabine efficacy was linked to KRAS-driven dependency on nucleotide metabolism and its ability to specifically impair pyrimidine biosynthesis in KRAS-dependent tumors cells. These findings also showed that gene signatures related to KRAS dependency might be prospectively used to inform on decitabine sensitivity in a selected subset of patients with KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancer. Overall, the repurposing of decitabine emerged as an intriguing option for treating pancreatic tumors that are addicted to mutant KRAS, thus offering opportunities for improving the arsenal of therapeutics for this extremely deadly disease. SIGNIFICANCE: Decitabine is a promising drug for cancer cells dependent on RAS signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Mottini
- Department of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Hideo Tomihara
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Diego Carrella
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessia Lamolinara
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Manuela Iezzi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Justin K Huang
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carla A Amoreo
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Simonetta Buglioni
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Manni
- Animal Facility (SAFU), IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Frederick S Robinson
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Rosalba Minelli
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ya'an Kang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jason B Fleming
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Michael P Kim
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Christopher A Bristow
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Daniela Trisciuoglio
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Donatella Del Bufalo
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Davide Melisi
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giulio F Draetta
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Alessandro Carugo
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Luca Cardone
- Department of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
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33
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Jang H, Banerjee A, Marcus K, Makowski L, Mattos C, Gaponenko V, Nussinov R. The Structural Basis of the Farnesylated and Methylated KRas4B Interaction with Calmodulin. Structure 2019; 27:1647-1659.e4. [PMID: 31495533 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM) extracts KRas4B from the plasma membrane, suggesting that KRas4B/CaM interaction plays a role in regulating Ras signaling. To gain mechanistic insight, we provide a computational model, supported by experimental structural data, of farnesylated/methylated KRas4B1-185 interacting with CaM in solution and at anionic membranes including signaling lipids. Due to multiple interaction modes, we observe diverse conformational ensembles of the KRas4B-CaM complex. A highly populated conformation reveals the catalytic domain interacting with the N-lobe and the hypervariable region (HVR) wrapping around the linker with the farnesyl docking to the extended CaM's C-lobe pocket. Alternatively, KRas4B can interact with collapsed CaM with the farnesyl penetrating CaM's center. At anionic membranes, CaM interacts with the catalytic domain with large fluctuations, drawing the HVR. Signaling lipids establishing strong salt bridges with CaM prevent membrane departure. Membrane-interacting KRas4B-CaM complex can productively recruit phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) to the plasma membrane, serving as a coagent in activating PI3Kα/Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Avik Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Kendra Marcus
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lee Makowski
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Carla Mattos
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vadim Gaponenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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Zhang M, Jang H, Nussinov R. The structural basis for Ras activation of PI3Kα lipid kinase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:12021-12028. [PMID: 31135801 PMCID: PMC6556208 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00101h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PI3Kα is a principal Ras effector that phosphorylates PIP2 to PIP3 in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. How Ras activates PI3K has been unclear: is Ras' role confined to PI3K recruitment to the membrane or does Ras activation also involve allostery? Recently, we determined the mechanism of PI3Kα activation at the atomic level. We showed the vital role and significance of conformational change in PI3Kα activation. Here, by a 'best-match for hydrogen-bonding pair' (BMHP) computational protocol and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we model the atomic structure of KRas4B in complex with the Ras binding domain (RBD) of PI3Kα, striving to understand the mechanism of PI3Kα activation by Ras. Point mutations T208D, K210E, and K227E disrupt the KRas4B-RBD interface in the models, in line with the experiments. We identify allosteric signaling pathways connecting Ras to RBD in the p110α subunit. However, the observed weak allosteric signals coupled with the detailed mechanism of PI3Kα activation make us conclude that the dominant mechanistic role of Ras is likely to be recruitment and restriction of the PI3Kα population at the membrane. Thus, RTK recruits the PI3Kα to the membrane and activates it by relieving its autoinhibition exerted by the nSH2 domain, leading to exposure of the kinase domain, which permits PIP2 binding. Ras recruitment can shift the PI3Kα ensemble toward a population where the kinase domain surface and the active site position and orientation favor PIP2 insertion. This work helps elucidate Ras-mediated PI3K activation and explores the structural basis for Ras-PI3Kα drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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35
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Merrick BA, Phadke DP, Bostrom MA, Shah RR, Wright GM, Wang X, Gordon O, Pelch KE, Auerbach SS, Paules RS, DeVito MJ, Waalkes MP, Tokar EJ. Arsenite malignantly transforms human prostate epithelial cells in vitro by gene amplification of mutated KRAS. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215504. [PMID: 31009485 PMCID: PMC6476498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inorganic arsenic is an environmental human carcinogen of several organs including the urinary tract. RWPE-1 cells are immortalized, non-tumorigenic, human prostate epithelia that become malignantly transformed into the CAsE-PE line after continuous in vitro exposure to 5μM arsenite over a period of months. For insight into in vitro arsenite transformation, we performed RNA-seq for differential gene expression and targeted sequencing of KRAS. We report >7,000 differentially expressed transcripts in CAsE-PE cells compared to RWPE-1 cells at >2-fold change, q<0.05 by RNA-seq. Notably, KRAS expression was highly elevated in CAsE-PE cells, with pathway analysis supporting increased cell proliferation, cell motility, survival and cancer pathways. Targeted DNA sequencing of KRAS revealed a mutant specific allelic imbalance, ‘MASI’, frequently found in primary clinical tumors. We found high expression of a mutated KRAS transcript carrying oncogenic mutations at codons 12 and 59 and many silent mutations, accompanied by lower expression of a wild-type allele. Parallel cultures of RWPE-1 cells retained a wild-type KRAS genotype. Copy number analysis and sequencing showed amplification of the mutant KRAS allele. KRAS is expressed as two splice variants, KRAS4a and KRAS4b, where variant 4b is more prevalent in normal cells compared to greater levels of variant 4a seen in tumor cells. 454 Roche sequencing measured KRAS variants in each cell type. We found KRAS4a as the predominant transcript variant in CAsE-PE cells compared to KRAS4b, the variant expressed primarily in RWPE-1 cells and in normal prostate, early passage, primary epithelial cells. Overall, gene expression data were consistent with KRAS-driven proliferation pathways found in spontaneous tumors and malignantly transformed cell lines. Arsenite is recognized as an important environmental carcinogen, but it is not a direct mutagen. Further investigations into this in vitro transformation model will focus on genomic events that cause arsenite-mediated mutation and overexpression of KRAS in CAsE-PE cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Alex Merrick
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Dhiral P. Phadke
- Sciome, LLC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Meredith A. Bostrom
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ruchir R. Shah
- Sciome, LLC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Garron M. Wright
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Xinguo Wang
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Oksana Gordon
- David H. Murdock Research Institute, Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Katherine E. Pelch
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Scott S. Auerbach
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Richard S. Paules
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael J. DeVito
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Waalkes
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Erik J. Tokar
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
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Review: Precision medicine and driver mutations: Computational methods, functional assays and conformational principles for interpreting cancer drivers. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006658. [PMID: 30921324 PMCID: PMC6438456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
At the root of the so-called precision medicine or precision oncology, which is our focus here, is the hypothesis that cancer treatment would be considerably better if therapies were guided by a tumor’s genomic alterations. This hypothesis has sparked major initiatives focusing on whole-genome and/or exome sequencing, creation of large databases, and developing tools for their statistical analyses—all aspiring to identify actionable alterations, and thus molecular targets, in a patient. At the center of the massive amount of collected sequence data is their interpretations that largely rest on statistical analysis and phenotypic observations. Statistics is vital, because it guides identification of cancer-driving alterations. However, statistics of mutations do not identify a change in protein conformation; therefore, it may not define sufficiently accurate actionable mutations, neglecting those that are rare. Among the many thematic overviews of precision oncology, this review innovates by further comprehensively including precision pharmacology, and within this framework, articulating its protein structural landscape and consequences to cellular signaling pathways. It provides the underlying physicochemical basis, thereby also opening the door to a broader community.
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37
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Leung ELH, Luo LX, Li Y, Liu ZQ, Li LL, Shi DF, Xie Y, Huang M, Lu LL, Duan FG, Huang JM, Fan XX, Yuan ZW, Ding J, Yao XJ, Ward DC, Liu L. Identification of a new inhibitor of KRAS-PDEδ interaction targeting KRAS mutant nonsmall cell lung cancer. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:1334-1345. [PMID: 30786019 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS is considered a promising target for anti-cancer therapy. However, direct pharmacological strategies targeting KRAS-driven cancers remained unavailable. The prenyl-binding protein PDEδ, a transporter of KRAS, has been identified as a potential target for pharmacological inhibitor by selectively binding to its prenyl-binding pocket, impairing oncogenic KRAS signaling pathway. Here, we discovered a novel PDEδ inhibitor (E)-N'-((3-(tert-butyl)-2-hydroxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydrodibenzo[b,dfuran-1-yl)methylene)-2,4-dihydroxybenzohydrazide(NHTD) by using a high-throughput docking-based virtual screening approach. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that NHTD suppressed proliferation, induced apoptosis and inhibited oncogenic K-RAS signaling pathways by disrupting KRAS-PDEδ interaction in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring KRAS mutations. NHTD redistributed the localization of KRAS to endomembranes by targeting the prenyl-binding pocket of PDEδ and exhibited the suppression of abnormal KRAS function. Importantly, NHTD prevented tumor growth in xenograft and KRAS mutant mouse model, which presents an effective strategy targeting KRAS-driven cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lian Xiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Zhong-Qiu Liu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lan Lan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dan Feng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ying Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Min Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Lin Lu
- International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fu Gang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Ju Min Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Xing Xing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Zhong Wen Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Jian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Jun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China.,State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - David C Ward
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau (SAR), China
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38
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Oncogenic KRas mobility in the membrane and signaling response. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 54:109-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Precision medicine review: rare driver mutations and their biophysical classification. Biophys Rev 2019; 11:5-19. [PMID: 30610579 PMCID: PMC6381362 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-018-0496-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
How can biophysical principles help precision medicine identify rare driver mutations? A major tenet of pragmatic approaches to precision oncology and pharmacology is that driver mutations are very frequent. However, frequency is a statistical attribute, not a mechanistic one. Rare mutations can also act through the same mechanism, and as we discuss below, “latent driver” mutations may also follow the same route, with “helper” mutations. Here, we review how biophysics provides mechanistic guidelines that extend precision medicine. We outline principles and strategies, especially focusing on mutations that drive cancer. Biophysics has contributed profoundly to deciphering biological processes. However, driven by data science, precision medicine has skirted some of its major tenets. Data science embodies genomics, tissue- and cell-specific expression levels, making it capable of defining genome- and systems-wide molecular disease signatures. It classifies cancer driver genes/mutations and affected pathways, and its associated protein structural data guide drug discovery. Biophysics complements data science. It considers structures and their heterogeneous ensembles, explains how mutational variants can signal through distinct pathways, and how allo-network drugs can be harnessed. Biophysics clarifies how one mutation—frequent or rare—can affect multiple phenotypic traits by populating conformations that favor interactions with other network modules. It also suggests how to identify such mutations and their signaling consequences. Biophysics offers principles and strategies that can help precision medicine push the boundaries to transform our insight into biological processes and the practice of personalized medicine. By contrast, “phenotypic drug discovery,” which capitalizes on physiological cellular conditions and first-in-class drug discovery, may not capture the proper molecular variant. This is because variants of the same protein can express more than one phenotype, and a phenotype can be encoded by several variants.
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Cheng F, Liang H, Butte AJ, Eng C, Nussinov R. Personal Mutanomes Meet Modern Oncology Drug Discovery and Precision Health. Pharmacol Rev 2019; 71:1-19. [PMID: 30545954 PMCID: PMC6294046 DOI: 10.1124/pr.118.016253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent remarkable advances in genome sequencing have enabled detailed maps of identified and interpreted genomic variation, dubbed "mutanomes." The availability of thousands of exome/genome sequencing data has prompted the emergence of new challenges in the identification of novel druggable targets and therapeutic strategies. Typically, mutanomes are viewed as one- or two-dimensional. The three-dimensional protein structural view of personal mutanomes sheds light on the functional consequences of clinically actionable mutations revealed in tumor diagnosis and followed up in personalized treatments, in a mutanome-informed manner. In this review, we describe the protein structural landscape of personal mutanomes and provide expert opinions on rational strategies for more streamlined oncological drug discovery and molecularly targeted therapies for each individual and each tumor. We provide the structural mechanism of orthosteric versus allosteric drugs at the atom-level via targeting specific somatic alterations for combating drug resistance and the "undruggable" challenges in solid and hematologic neoplasias. We discuss computational biophysics strategies for innovative mutanome-informed cancer immunotherapies and combination immunotherapies. Finally, we highlight a personal mutanome infrastructure for the emerging development of personalized cancer medicine using a breast cancer case study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute (F.C., C.E.) and Taussig Cancer Institute (C.E.), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (F.C., C.E.); CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center (F.C., C.E.) and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (C.E.), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Departments of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (H.L.); Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.J.B.); Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, University of California Health, Oakland, California (A.J.B.); Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland (R.N.); and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (R.N.)
| | - Han Liang
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute (F.C., C.E.) and Taussig Cancer Institute (C.E.), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (F.C., C.E.); CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center (F.C., C.E.) and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (C.E.), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Departments of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (H.L.); Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.J.B.); Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, University of California Health, Oakland, California (A.J.B.); Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland (R.N.); and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (R.N.)
| | - Atul J Butte
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute (F.C., C.E.) and Taussig Cancer Institute (C.E.), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (F.C., C.E.); CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center (F.C., C.E.) and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (C.E.), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Departments of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (H.L.); Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.J.B.); Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, University of California Health, Oakland, California (A.J.B.); Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland (R.N.); and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (R.N.)
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute (F.C., C.E.) and Taussig Cancer Institute (C.E.), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (F.C., C.E.); CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center (F.C., C.E.) and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (C.E.), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Departments of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (H.L.); Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.J.B.); Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, University of California Health, Oakland, California (A.J.B.); Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland (R.N.); and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (R.N.)
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute (F.C., C.E.) and Taussig Cancer Institute (C.E.), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (F.C., C.E.); CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center (F.C., C.E.) and Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (C.E.), Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Departments of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (H.L.); Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.J.B.); Center for Data-Driven Insights and Innovation, University of California Health, Oakland, California (A.J.B.); Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland (R.N.); and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (R.N.)
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41
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Zhang M, Li Z, Wang G, Jang H, Sacks DB, Zhang J, Gaponenko V, Nussinov R. Calmodulin (CaM) Activates PI3Kα by Targeting the "Soft" CaM-Binding Motifs in Both the nSH2 and cSH2 Domains of p85α. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:11137-11146. [PMID: 30047727 PMCID: PMC6422767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b05982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PI3Kα is a key lipid kinase in the PI3K/Akt pathway. Its frequent oncogenic mutations make it a primary drug target. Calmodulin (CaM) activates PI3Kα independently of extracellular signals, indicating a significant role in oncogenic PI3Kα activation. Here, we reveal the atomic-scale structures of CaM in complexes with the nSH2 and cSH2 domains of the regulatory p85α subunit of PI3Kα, and illustrate how CaM activates PI3Kα by targeting the "soft 1-5-10" CaM-binding motifs in both nSH2 and cSH2 domains. Experiment observed CaM binding cSH2 first, followed by nSH2 binding hours later. CaM typically prefers binding helical peptides. Here we observe that, unlike in cSH2, the CaM-binding motif in nSH2 populates a mixed β-sheet/α-helix/random coil structure. The population shift from a β-sheet toward CaM's favored α-helical conformation explains why the nSH2 domain needs a longer time for CaM binding in the experiments. The "soft" CaM-binding motifs in both nSH2 and cSH2 domains establish strong CaM-PI3Kα interactions, collectively facilitating PI3Kα activation. This work uncovers the structural basis for CaM-driven PI3Kα activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Zhang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Guanqiao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - David B. Sacks
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Vadim Gaponenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Xu T, Huang C, Qi XT, Yang XC, Zhang N, Cao J, Wang C, Zhu H, Yang B, He QJ, Shao XJ, Ying MD. 2-Bromopalmitate sensitizes osteosarcoma cells to adriamycin-induced apoptosis via the modulation of CHOP. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 844:204-215. [PMID: 30552901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumour, but the survival rate of patients has plateaued since the mid-1980s. Adriamycin is an integral component of the current first-line chemotherapies used for osteosarcoma, but dose-dependent severe side effects often limit its clinical application. Here, we propose a potential combination regimen in which adriamycin plus 2-bromopalmitate, a palmitoylation inhibitor, exhibited powerful therapeutic effects on osteosarcoma. First, 2-bromopalmitate strongly increased the proliferation inhibition of adriamycin in both human osteosarcoma cell lines and primary osteosarcoma cells. Adriamycin-induced apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells was enhanced when synergized with 2-bromopalmitate. Our study indicated that the reactive oxygen species scavenger NAC and GSH could largely reverse the apoptosis induced by adriamycin combined with 2-bromopalmitate, demonstrating that reactive oxygen species played an essential role in this combination therapy. Moreover, CHOP was remarkably elevated in the combination group, and silencing of CHOP almost completely blocked the apoptosis induced by the combination of 2-bromopalmitate and adriamycin. Taken together, our study provides a prospective therapeutic strategy to eliminate osteosarcoma, which is propitious to clinical combination therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Xu
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chao Huang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Tian Qi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Yang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Ji Cao
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qiao-Jun He
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xue-Jing Shao
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Mei-Dan Ying
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Ozdemir ES, Jang H, Gursoy A, Keskin O, Nussinov R. Arl2-Mediated Allosteric Release of Farnesylated KRas4B from Shuttling Factor PDEδ. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:7503-7513. [PMID: 29961325 PMCID: PMC8087113 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b04347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Proper localization of Ras proteins at the plasma membrane (PM) is crucial for their functions. To get to the PM, KRas4B and some other Ras family proteins bind to the PDEδ shuttling protein through their farnesylated hypervariable regions (HVRs). The docking of their farnesyl (and to a lesser extent geranylgeranyl) in the hydrophobic pocket of PDEδ's stabilizes the interaction. At the PM, guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP)-bound Arf-like protein 2 (Arl2) assists in the release of Ras from the PDEδ. However, exactly how is still unclear. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we unraveled the detailed mechanism of Arl2-mediated release of KRas4B, the most abundant oncogenic Ras isoform, from PDEδ. We simulated ternary Arl2-PDEδ-KRas4B HVR complexes and observed that Arl2 binding weakens the PDEδ-farnesylated HVR interaction. Our detailed analysis showed that allosteric changes (involving β6 of PDEδ and additional PDEδ residues) compress the hydrophobic PDEδ pocket and push the HVR out. Mutating PDEδ residues that mediate allosteric changes in PDEδ terminates the release process. Mutant Ras proteins are enriched in human cancers, with currently no drugs in the clinics. This mechanistic account may inspire efforts to develop drugs suppressing oncogenic KRas4B release.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Sila Ozdemir
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Attila Gursoy
- Department of Computer Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Keskin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Abstract
Identification of meaningful cluster modules of differential genes or representative biomarkers related to the stages of ovarian cancer (OC) is pivotal, which may help to detect mechanisms of OC progression and evaluate OC patients' prognosis.We downloaded gene expression data and the corresponding clinical information of OC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which included 379 ovarian cancer patients. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of OC patients between stages were picked out using R. There were 731 differential genes between ovarian cancer stage II and stage III (DEGs II-III) and 563 differential genes between ovarian cancer stage III and stage IV (DEGs III-IV), then we performed GO analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Moreover, CytoHubba was used to detect the top 20 hub genes in DEGs II-III and DEGs III-IV, followed Cytoscape with search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes (STRING) and MCODE plug-in was utilized to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) modules of these genes. Three important coexpression modules of DEGs II-III and 3 more meaningful modules of DEGs III-IV were detected from PPI network using molecular complex detection (MCODE) tool. In addition, 5 hub genes in these stage-related DEGs modules with worse overall survival were selected, including COL3A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, KRAS, NRAS. This bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that stage-related prognostic DEGs, such as COL3A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, KRAS, and NRAS might play an unfavorable role in the development as well as metastasis of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, they need to be experimentally verified as a new biomarker to predict OC patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
| | | | | | - Ying Yue
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Earp M, Tyrer JP, Winham SJ, Lin HY, Chornokur G, Dennis J, Aben KKH, Anton‐Culver H, Antonenkova N, Bandera EV, Bean YT, Beckmann MW, Bjorge L, Bogdanova N, Brinton LA, Brooks-Wilson A, Bruinsma F, Bunker CH, Butzow R, Campbell IG, Carty K, Chang-Claude J, Cook LS, Cramer DW, Cunningham JM, Cybulski C, Dansonka-Mieszkowska A, Despierre E, Doherty JA, Dörk T, du Bois A, Dürst M, Easton DF, Eccles DM, Edwards RP, Ekici AB, Fasching PA, Fridley BL, Gentry-Maharaj A, Giles GG, Glasspool R, Goodman MT, Gronwald J, Harter P, Hein A, Heitz F, Hildebrandt MAT, Hillemanns P, Hogdall CK, Høgdall E, Hosono S, Iversen ES, Jakubowska A, Jensen A, Ji BT, Jung AY, Karlan BY, Kellar M, Kiemeney LA, Kiong Lim B, Kjaer SK, Krakstad C, Kupryjanczyk J, Lambrechts D, Lambrechts S, Le ND, Lele S, Lester J, Levine DA, Li Z, Liang D, Lissowska J, Lu K, Lubinski J, Lundvall L, Massuger LFAG, Matsuo K, McGuire V, McLaughlin JR, McNeish I, Menon U, Milne RL, Modugno F, Moysich KB, Ness RB, Nevanlinna H, Odunsi K, Olson SH, Orlow I, Orsulic S, Paul J, Pejovic T, Pelttari LM, Permuth JB, Pike MC, Poole EM, Rosen B, Rossing MA, Rothstein JH, Runnebaum IB, Rzepecka IK, Schernhammer E, Schwaab I, Shu XO, Shvetsov YB, Siddiqui N, Sieh W, Song H, Southey MC, Spiewankiewicz B, Sucheston-Campbell L, Tangen IL, Teo SH, Terry KL, Thompson PJ, Thomsen L, Tworoger SS, van Altena AM, Vergote I, Vestrheim Thomsen LC, Vierkant RA, Walsh CS, Wang-Gohrke S, Wentzensen N, Whittemore AS, Wicklund KG, Wilkens LR, Woo YL, Wu AH, Wu X, Xiang YB, Yang H, Zheng W, Ziogas A, Lee AW, Pearce CL, Berchuck A, Schildkraut JM, Ramus SJ, Monteiro ANA, Narod SA, Sellers TA, Gayther SA, Kelemen LE, Chenevix-Trench G, Risch HA, Pharoah PDP, Goode EL, Phelan CM. Variants in genes encoding small GTPases and association with epithelial ovarian cancer susceptibility. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197561. [PMID: 29979793 PMCID: PMC6034790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality in American women. Normal ovarian physiology is intricately connected to small GTP binding proteins of the Ras superfamily (Ras, Rho, Rab, Arf, and Ran) which govern processes such as signal transduction, cell proliferation, cell motility, and vesicle transport. We hypothesized that common germline variation in genes encoding small GTPases is associated with EOC risk. We investigated 322 variants in 88 small GTPase genes in germline DNA of 18,736 EOC patients and 26,138 controls of European ancestry using a custom genotype array and logistic regression fitting log-additive models. Functional annotation was used to identify biofeatures and expression quantitative trait loci that intersect with risk variants. One variant, ARHGEF10L (Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 10 like) rs2256787, was associated with increased endometrioid EOC risk (OR = 1.33, p = 4.46 x 10-6). Other variants of interest included another in ARHGEF10L, rs10788679, which was associated with invasive serous EOC risk (OR = 1.07, p = 0.00026) and two variants in AKAP6 (A-kinase anchoring protein 6) which were associated with risk of invasive EOC (rs1955513, OR = 0.90, p = 0.00033; rs927062, OR = 0.94, p = 0.00059). Functional annotation revealed that the two ARHGEF10L variants were located in super-enhancer regions and that AKAP6 rs927062 was associated with expression of GTPase gene ARHGAP5 (Rho GTPase activating protein 5). Inherited variants in ARHGEF10L and AKAP6, with potential transcriptional regulatory function and association with EOC risk, warrant investigation in independent EOC study populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madalene Earp
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P. Tyrer
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stacey J. Winham
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Hui-Yi Lin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
- School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Ganna Chornokur
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Joe Dennis
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katja K. H. Aben
- Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hoda Anton‐Culver
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute, UCI Center for Cancer Genetics Research and Prevention, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Natalia Antonenkova
- Byelorussian Institute for Oncology and Medical Radiology Aleksandrov N.N., Minsk, Belarus
| | - Elisa V. Bandera
- Cancer Prevention and Control, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Yukie T. Bean
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Matthias W. Beckmann
- University Breast Center Franconia, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Line Bjorge
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Natalia Bogdanova
- Gynaecology Research Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Louise A. Brinton
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Angela Brooks-Wilson
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Fiona Bruinsma
- Cancer Epidemiology & Intelligence Division, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Clareann H. Bunker
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Ralf Butzow
- Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ian G. Campbell
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Carty
- CRUK Clinical Trials Unit, The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Chang-Claude
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Linda S. Cook
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Daniel W Cramer
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Julie M. Cunningham
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Cezary Cybulski
- International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Evelyn Despierre
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jennifer A. Doherty
- Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Thilo Dörk
- Gynaecology Research Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas du Bois
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Kliniken Essen-Mitte/ Evang. Huyssens-Stiftung/ Knappschaft GmbH, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Dürst
- Department of Gynecology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Douglas F. Easton
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Diana M. Eccles
- Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Edwards
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Arif B. Ekici
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A. Fasching
- University Breast Center Franconia, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Medicine Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Brooke L. Fridley
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj
- Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women’s Cancer, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham G. Giles
- Cancer Epidemiology & Intelligence Division, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rosalind Glasspool
- CRUK Clinical Trials Unit, The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marc T. Goodman
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Jacek Gronwald
- International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Philipp Harter
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Kliniken Essen-Mitte/ Evang. Huyssens-Stiftung/ Knappschaft GmbH, Essen, Germany
| | - Alexander Hein
- University Breast Center Franconia, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Florian Heitz
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Kliniken Essen-Mitte/ Evang. Huyssens-Stiftung/ Knappschaft GmbH, Essen, Germany
| | - Michelle A. T. Hildebrandt
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Peter Hillemanns
- Gynaecology Research Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Claus K. Hogdall
- Department of Gynaecology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Estrid Høgdall
- Virus, Lifestyle and Genes, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Molecular Unit, Department of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Satoyo Hosono
- Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Edwin S. Iversen
- Department of Statistics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Anna Jakubowska
- International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Allan Jensen
- Virus, Lifestyle and Genes, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bu-Tian Ji
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Audrey Y. Jung
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beth Y. Karlan
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Melissa Kellar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Lambertus A. Kiemeney
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Boon Kiong Lim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Malaya Medical Centre, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Susanne K. Kjaer
- Virus, Lifestyle and Genes, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Gynecology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Krakstad
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jolanta Kupryjanczyk
- Department of Pathology, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Oncology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Vesalius Research Center, VIB, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandrina Lambrechts
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nhu D. Le
- Cancer Control Research, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shashi Lele
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Jenny Lester
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Douglas A. Levine
- Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Yunnan Tumor Hospital), Kunming, China
| | - Dong Liang
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jolanta Lissowska
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, M. Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center & Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karen Lu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jan Lubinski
- International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Lene Lundvall
- Department of Gynaecology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leon F. A. G. Massuger
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Keitaro Matsuo
- Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Valerie McGuire
- Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | | | | | - Usha Menon
- Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women’s Cancer, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roger L. Milne
- Cancer Epidemiology & Intelligence Division, The Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Francesmary Modugno
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Womens Cancer Research Program, Magee-Womens Research Institute and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Kirsten B. Moysich
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Roberta B. Ness
- The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Heli Nevanlinna
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Sara H. Olson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Irene Orlow
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Sandra Orsulic
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - James Paul
- CRUK Clinical Trials Unit, The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Tanja Pejovic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Liisa M. Pelttari
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenny B. Permuth
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Malcolm C. Pike
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth M. Poole
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Barry Rosen
- Department of Gynecology-Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mary Anne Rossing
- Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Joseph H. Rothstein
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Ingo B. Runnebaum
- Department of Gynecology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Iwona K. Rzepecka
- Department of Pathology, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eva Schernhammer
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Ira Schwaab
- Institut für Humangenetik Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Xiao-Ou Shu
- Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt, Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Yurii B. Shvetsov
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Nadeem Siddiqui
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Weiva Sieh
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Honglin Song
- School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Melissa C. Southey
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Lara Sucheston-Campbell
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Ingvild L. Tangen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Soo-Hwang Teo
- Division of Cancer Etiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- University Malaya Medical Centre, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kathryn L. Terry
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Pamela J. Thompson
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Lotte Thomsen
- Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shelley S. Tworoger
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Anne M. van Altena
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegan, The Netherlands
| | - Ignace Vergote
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Robert A. Vierkant
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Christine S. Walsh
- Women's Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Shan Wang-Gohrke
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicolas Wentzensen
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Alice S. Whittemore
- Department of Health Research and Policy, Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Kristine G. Wicklund
- Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Lynne R. Wilkens
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Yin-Ling Woo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Malaya Medical Centre, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Cancer Research Malaysia, Subang Jaya Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Anna H. Wu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Xifeng Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Yong-Bing Xiang
- Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
| | - Hannah Yang
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Wei Zheng
- Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Argyrios Ziogas
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute, UCI Center for Cancer Genetics Research and Prevention, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States of America
| | - Alice W Lee
- Department of Health Science, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, United States of America
| | - Celeste L. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Andrew Berchuck
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Joellen M. Schildkraut
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Susan J. Ramus
- School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- The Garvan Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alvaro N. A. Monteiro
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Steven A. Narod
- Women's College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas A. Sellers
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Simon A. Gayther
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Translational Genomics, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Linda E. Kelemen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina and Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, SC, United States of America
| | | | - Harvey A. Risch
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Paul D. P. Pharoah
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Worts Causeway, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen L. Goode
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States of America
| | - Catherine M. Phelan
- Division of Population Sciences, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, United States of America
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Khowal S, Naqvi SH, Monga S, Jain SK, Wajid S. Assessment of cellular and serum proteome from tongue squamous cell carcinoma patient lacking addictive proclivities for tobacco, betel nut, and alcohol: Case study. J Cell Biochem 2018; 119:5186-5221. [PMID: 29236289 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.26554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The intriguing molecular pathways involved in oral carcinogenesis are still ambiguous. The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) ranks as the most common type constituting more than 90% of the globally diagnosed oral cancers cases. The elevation in the OSCC incidence rate during past 10 years has an alarming impression on human healthcare. The major challenges associated with OSCC include delayed diagnosis, high metastatic rates, and low 5-year survival rates. The present work foundations on reverse genetic strategy and involves the identification of genes showing expressional variability in an OSCC case lacking addictive proclivities for tobacco, betel nut, and/or alcohol, major etiologies. The expression modulations in the identified genes were analyzed in 16 patients comprising oral pre-cancer and cancer histo-pathologies. The genes SCCA1 and KRT1 were found to down regulate while DNAJC13, GIPC2, MRPL17, IG-Vreg, SSFA2, and UPF0415 upregulated in the oral pre-cancer and cancer pathologies, implicating the genes as crucial players in oral carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapna Khowal
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Samar H Naqvi
- Molecular Diagnostics, Genetix Biotech Asia (P) Ltd., New Delhi, India
| | - Seema Monga
- Department of ENT, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Swatantra K Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Saima Wajid
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
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Nussinov R, Zhang M, Tsai CJ, Jang H. Calmodulin and IQGAP1 activation of PI3Kα and Akt in KRAS, HRAS and NRAS-driven cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2018; 1864:2304-2314. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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48
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Alon M, Emmanuel R, Qutob N, Bakhman A, Peshti V, Brodezki A, Bassan D, Kosloff M, Samuels Y. Refinement of the endogenous epitope tagging technology allows the identification of a novel NRAS binding partner in melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2018; 31:641-648. [PMID: 29665313 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12705] [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: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The NRAS oncoprotein is highly mutated in melanoma. However, to date, no comprehensive proteomic study has been reported for NRAS. Here, we utilized the endogenous epitope tagging (EET) approach for the identification of novel NRAS binding partners. Using EET, an epitope tag is added to the endogenously expressed protein, via modification of its genomic coding sequence. Existing EET systems are not robust, suffer from high background, and are labor-intensive. To this end, we present a polyadenylation signal-trap construct for N'-tagging that generates a polycistronic mRNA with the gene of interest. This system requires the integration of the tagging cassette in frame with the target gene to be expressed. Using this design, we demonstrate, for the first time, endogenous tagging of NRAS in melanoma cells allowing the identification of the E3 ubiquitin ligase c-CBL as a novel NRAS binding partner. Thus, our developed EET technology allows the characterization of new RAS effectors, which could be beneficial for the design of future drugs that inhibit constitutive signaling of RAS oncogenic mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Alon
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rafi Emmanuel
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Nouar Qutob
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Anna Bakhman
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Victoria Peshti
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexandra Brodezki
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David Bassan
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mickey Kosloff
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yardena Samuels
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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49
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Ntai I, Fornelli L, DeHart CJ, Hutton JE, Doubleday PF, LeDuc RD, van Nispen AJ, Fellers RT, Whiteley G, Boja ES, Rodriguez H, Kelleher NL. Precise characterization of KRAS4b proteoforms in human colorectal cells and tumors reveals mutation/modification cross-talk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:4140-4145. [PMID: 29610327 PMCID: PMC5910823 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1716122115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of the KRAS gene are found in human cancers with high frequency and result in the constitutive activation of its protein products. This leads to aberrant regulation of downstream pathways, promoting cell survival, proliferation, and tumorigenesis that drive cancer progression and negatively affect treatment outcomes. Here, we describe a workflow that can detect and quantify mutation-specific consequences of KRAS biochemistry, namely linked changes in posttranslational modifications (PTMs). We combined immunoaffinity enrichment with detection by top-down mass spectrometry to discover and quantify proteoforms with or without the Gly13Asp mutation (G13D) specifically in the KRAS4b isoform. The workflow was applied first to isogenic KRAS colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and then to patient CRC tumors with matching KRAS genotypes. In two cellular models, a direct link between the knockout of the mutant G13D allele and the complete nitrosylation of cysteine 118 of the remaining WT KRAS4b was observed. Analysis of tumor samples quantified the percentage of mutant KRAS4b actually present in cancer tissue and identified major differences in the levels of C-terminal carboxymethylation, a modification critical for membrane association. These data from CRC cells and human tumors suggest mechanisms of posttranslational regulation that are highly context-dependent and which lead to preferential production of specific KRAS4b proteoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Ntai
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Luca Fornelli
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Caroline J DeHart
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Josiah E Hutton
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Peter F Doubleday
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Richard D LeDuc
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Alexandra J van Nispen
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Ryan T Fellers
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Gordon Whiteley
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701
| | - Emily S Boja
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Henry Rodriguez
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Department of Chemistry, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Proteomics Center of Excellence, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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50
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Wang G, Zhang M, Jang H, Lu S, Lin S, Chen G, Nussinov R, Zhang J, Gaponenko V. Interaction of Calmodulin with the cSH2 Domain of the p85 Regulatory Subunit. Biochemistry 2018; 57:1917-1928. [PMID: 29494137 PMCID: PMC6454211 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium sensor protein that directly interacts with the dual-specificity (lipid and protein) kinase PI3Kα through the SH2 domains of the p85 regulatory subunit. In adenocarcinomas, the CaM interaction removes the autoinhibition of the p110 catalytic subunit of PI3Kα, leading to activation of PI3Kα and promoting cell proliferation, survival, and migration. Here we demonstrate that the cSH2 domain of p85α engages its two CaM-binding motifs in the interaction with the N- and C-lobes of CaM as well as the flexible central linker, and our nuclear magnetic resonance experiments provide structural details. We show that in response to binding CaM, cSH2 exposes its tryptophan residue at the N-terminal region to the solvent. Because of the flexible nature of both CaM and cSH2, multiple binding modes of the interactions are possible. Binding of CaM to the cSH2 domain can help release the inhibition imposed on the p110 subunit, similar to the binding of the phosphorylated motif of RTK, or phosphorylated CaM (pCaM), to the SH2 domains. Amino acid sequence analysis shows that CaM-binding motifs are common in SH2 domains of non-RTKs. We speculate that CaM can also activate these kinases through similar mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqiao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mingzhen Zhang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shizhou Lin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Guoqiang Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Vadim Gaponenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
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