1
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EGFRvIII tumorigenicity requires PDGFRA co-signaling and reveals therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioblastoma. Oncogene 2021; 40:2682-2696. [PMID: 33707748 PMCID: PMC9159289 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01721-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Focal amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligand-independent, constitutively active EGFRvIII mutant form are prominent oncogenic drivers in glioblastoma (GBM). The EGFRvIII gene rearrangement is considered to be an initiating event in the etiology of GBM, however, the mechanistic details of how EGFRvIII drives cellular transformation and tumor maintenance remain unclear. Here, we report that EGFRvIII demonstrates a reliance on PDGFRA co-stimulatory signaling during the tumorigenic process in a genetically engineered autochthonous GBM model. This dependency exposes liabilities that were leveraged using kinase inhibitors treatments in EGFRvIII-expressing GBM patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), where simultaneous pharmacological inhibition of EGFRvIII and PDGFRA kinase activities is necessary for anti-tumor efficacy. Our work establishes that EGFRvIII-positive tumors have unexplored vulnerabilities to targeted agents concomitant to the EGFR kinase inhibitor repertoire.
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2
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Sunderhaus A, Imran R, Goudelock A, Nassar M, Cooper K, Patterson D, Abdel Aziz MH. Engineering soluble artificial epidermal growth factor receptor mimics capable of spontaneous in vitro dimerization. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:1466-1475. [PMID: 33331661 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27659] [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] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a clinically validated target for a multitude of human cancers. The receptor is activated upon ligand binding through a critical dimerization step. Dimerization can be replicated in vitro by locally concentrating the receptor kinase domains on the surface of lipid-based vesicles. In this study we investigated the use of coiled coils to induce spontaneous receptor kinase domain dimerization in vitro to form non-membrane-bound artificial receptor mimics in solution. Two engineered forms of EGFR kinase domain fused to coiled coil complementary peptides were designed to self-associate upon mixing. Two fusion protein species (P3-EGFR and P4-EGFR) independently showed the same activity and polymerization profile known to exist with EGFR kinase domains. Upon mixing the two species, coiled coil heterodimers were formed that induced EGFR association to form dimers of the kinase domains. This was accompanied by 11.5-fold increase in the phosphorylation rate indicative of kinase domain activation equivalent to the levels achieved using vesicle localization and mimicking in vivo ligand-induced activation. This study presents a soluble tyrosine kinase receptor mimic capable of spontaneous in vitro activation that can facilitate functional and drug discovery studies for this clinically important receptor class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Sunderhaus
- Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - Ramsha Imran
- Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - Amanda Goudelock
- Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - Manon Nassar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - Kendall Cooper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - Dustin Patterson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
| | - May H Abdel Aziz
- Fisch College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
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3
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Rutkowska A, Stoczyńska-Fidelus E, Janik K, Włodarczyk A, Rieske P. EGFR vIII: An Oncogene with Ambiguous Role. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:1092587. [PMID: 32089685 PMCID: PMC7024087 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1092587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) seems to constitute the perfect therapeutic target for glioblastoma (GB), as it is specifically present on up to 28-30% of GB cells. In case of other tumor types, expression and possible role of this oncogene still remain controversial. In spite of EGFRvIII mechanism of action being crucial for the design of small active anticancer molecules and immunotherapies, i.e., CAR-T technology, it is yet to be precisely defined. EGFRvIII is known to be resistant to degradation, but it is still unclear whether it heterodimerizes with EGF-activated wild-type EGFR (EGFRWT) or homodimerizes (including covalent homodimerization). Constitutive kinase activity of this mutated receptor is relatively low, and some researchers even claim that a nuclear, but not a membrane function, is crucial for its activity. Based on the analyses of recurrent tumors that are often lacking EGFRvIII expression despite its initial presence in corresponding primary foci, this oncogene is suggested to play a marginal role during later stages of carcinogenesis, while even in primary tumors EGFRvIII expression is detected only in a small percentage of tumor cells, undermining the rationality of EGFRvIII-targeting therapies. On the other hand, EGFRvIII-positive cells are resistant to apoptosis, more invasive, and characterized with enhanced proliferation rate. Moreover, expression of this oncogenic receptor was also postulated to be a marker of cancer stem cells. Opinions regarding the role that EGFRvIII plays in tumorigenesis and for tumor aggressiveness are clearly contradictory and, therefore, it is crucial not only to determine its mechanism of action, but also to unambiguously define its role at early and advanced cancer stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Rutkowska
- Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
| | - Ewelina Stoczyńska-Fidelus
- Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
- Department of Research and Development, Celther Polska Ltd., Milionowa 23, 93-193 Lodz, Poland
- Department of Research and Development, Personather Ltd., Milionowa 23, 93-193 Lodz, Poland
| | - Karolina Janik
- Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
| | - Aneta Włodarczyk
- Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
| | - Piotr Rieske
- Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland
- Department of Research and Development, Celther Polska Ltd., Milionowa 23, 93-193 Lodz, Poland
- Department of Research and Development, Personather Ltd., Milionowa 23, 93-193 Lodz, Poland
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4
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An Z, Aksoy O, Zheng T, Fan QW, Weiss WA. Epidermal growth factor receptor and EGFRvIII in glioblastoma: signaling pathways and targeted therapies. Oncogene 2018; 37:1561-1575. [PMID: 29321659 PMCID: PMC5860944 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-017-0045-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 351] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its active mutant EGFRvIII occurs frequently in glioblastoma (GBM). While EGFR and EGFRvIII play critical roles in pathogenesis, targeted therapy with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or antibodies has only shown limited efficacy in patients. Here we discuss signaling pathways mediated by EGFR/EGFRvIII, current therapeutics, and novel strategies to target EGFR/EGFRvIII-amplified GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyi An
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ozlem Aksoy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tina Zheng
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qi-Wen Fan
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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5
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Stec W, Rosiak K, Treda C, Smolarz M, Peciak J, Pacholczyk M, Lenart A, Grzela D, Stoczynska-Fidelus E, Rieske P. Cyclic trans-phosphorylation in a homodimer as the predominant mechanism of EGFRvIII action and regulation. Oncotarget 2018; 9:8560-8572. [PMID: 29492217 PMCID: PMC5823601 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive research no therapies targeted against the oncogenic EGFRvIII are present in the clinic. One of the reasons is the elusive nature of the molecular structure and activity of the truncated receptor. The recent publications indicate the EGF-bound wild-type EGFR to trans-phosphorylate the EGFRvIII initiating aberrant signaling cascade. The elevated stability of the mutant receptor contributes towards oncogenic potential, preventing termination of signaling by receptor degradation. Here, we show that inhibition of phosphatases leads to a marked increase in phosphorylation of wild-type EGFR and EGFRvIII, indicating that both undergo cyclic rounds of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation on all investigated tyrosine residues, including Tyr1045. Still, we observe elevated stability of the mutant receptor, suggesting phosphorylation as insufficient to cause degradation. Hyperphosphorylation of EGFRvIII was hindered only by EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Co-immunoprecipitation as well as semi-native Western blotting structural analyses together with functional investigation of EGFRvIII's phosphorylation following depletion of wild-type EGFR by shRNA or EGF-mediated degradation indicated homodimerization as the predominant quaternary structure of the mutant receptor. Dimers were observed only under non-reducing conditions, suggesting that homodimerization is mediated by covalent bonds. Previous reports indicated cysteine at position 16 to mediate covalent homodimerization. Upon its substitution to serine, we have observed impaired formation of dimers and lower phosphorylation levels of the mutated oncogene. Based on the obtained results we propose that EGFRvIII is predominantly regulated dynamically by phosphatases that counteract the process of trans-phosphorylation occurring within the homodimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Stec
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland
| | - Kamila Rosiak
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Cezary Treda
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Maciej Smolarz
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Peciak
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marcin Pacholczyk
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Anna Lenart
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland
| | - Dawid Grzela
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland
| | - Ewelina Stoczynska-Fidelus
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Piotr Rieske
- Research and Development Unit, Celther Polska Ltd., Lodz, Poland.,Department of Tumor Biology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.,Research and Development Unit, Personather Ltd., Lodz, Poland
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6
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Chistiakov DA, Chekhonin IV, Chekhonin VP. The EGFR variant III mutant as a target for immunotherapy of glioblastoma multiforme. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 810:70-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.05.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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7
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Xu H, Zong H, Ma C, Ming X, Shang M, Li K, He X, Du H, Cao L. Epidermal growth factor receptor in glioblastoma. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:512-516. [PMID: 28693199 PMCID: PMC5494611 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are commonly occurring in glioblastoma. Enhanced activation of EGFR can occur through a variety of different mechanisms, both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent. Numerous evidence has suggested that EGFR is overexpressed in most of primary glioblastomas and some of the secondary glioblastomas and is characteristic of more aggressive glioblastoma phenotypes. Additionally, recent studies have revealed that wild-type EGFR, and to a greater extent hyper-activating EGFR mutants induced a substantial upregulation of Fyn expression. Furthermore, it was determined that Fyn expression is upregulated across a panel of patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) relative to normal progenitor controls. Moreover, researchers are continuously involved in elucidation of novel mechanism linking EGFR EGFR-expressing glioblastoma. The present review highlights current aspects of EGFR receptor in glioblastoma and concludes that the concept of EGFR signaling and related receptors and associated factors is evolving, however, it needs detailed evaluation for future clinical applications in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongsheng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Hailiang Zong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Chong Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Xing Ming
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Ming Shang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoguang He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Hai Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
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8
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Aptamer targeting EGFRvIII mutant hampers its constitutive autophosphorylation and affects migration, invasion and proliferation of glioblastoma cells. Oncotarget 2016; 6:37570-87. [PMID: 26461476 PMCID: PMC4741949 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive human brain tumor, associated with very poor survival despite surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) are hallmarks in GBM with driving roles in tumor progression. In approximately half of the tumors with amplified EGFR, the EGFRvIII truncated extracellular mutant is detected. EGFRvIII does not bind ligands, is highly oncogenic and its expression confers resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). It has been demonstrated that EGFRvIII-dependent cancers may escape targeted therapy by developing dependence on PDGFRβ signaling, thus providing a strong rationale for combination therapy aimed at blocking both EGFRvIII and PDGFRβsignaling.We have recently generated two nuclease resistant RNA aptamers, CL4 and Gint4.T, as high affinity ligands and inhibitors of the human wild-type EGFR (EGFRwt) and PDGFRβ, respectively.Herein, by different approaches, we demonstrate that CL4 aptamer binds to the EGFRvIII mutant even though it lacks most of the extracellular domain. As a consequence of binding, the aptamer inhibits EGFRvIII autophosphorylation and downstream signaling pathways, thus affecting migration, invasion and proliferation of EGFRvIII-expressing GBM cell lines.Further, we show that targeting EGFRvIII by CL4, as well as by EGFR-TKIs, erlotinib and gefitinib, causes upregulation of PDGFRβ. Importantly, CL4 and gefitinib cooperate with the anti-PDGFRβ Gint4.T aptamer in inhibiting cell proliferation.The proposed aptamer-based strategy could have impact on targeted molecular cancer therapies and may result in progresses against GBMs.
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9
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Nakase I. [Creation of artificial receptors activated by coiled-coil peptides and cellular regulation]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2016; 135:375-81. [PMID: 25759046 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.14-00240-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Exploiting the ability of coiled-coil peptides to induce dimer formation, we designed an artificial epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in which dimerization is essential for increasing the tyrosine kinase activity of its intracellular domain. Using leucine-zipper coiled-coil peptides, the surface-exposed E3 ((EIAALEK)3) tag sequence was fused with EGFR (E3-EGFR) lacking domains I-III and a part of IV, which participate in dimerization of EGFR after binding to natural ligand (that is, epidermal growth factor). To dimerize E3-EGFR we synthesized conjugates of two K4 ((KIAALKE)4) peptides, called K4-conjugates, with linker lengths approximately 10 angstrom that mimic the distance of EGFR dimerization. Receptor phosphorylation of E3-EGFR was found to increase within 5 min in CHO cells expressing E3-EGFR after treatment with K4 conjugates. Increased lamellipodia formation and migration of the cells was also observed when treated with the artificial ligands. This receptor model can be applied to a wide variety of membrane-associated proteins to control cellular processes and to elucidate the functional mechanisms of these proteins using chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuhiko Nakase
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Center, Research Organization for the 21st Century, Osaka Prefecture University
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10
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Wei JW, Cui JQ, Zhou X, Fang C, Tan YL, Chen LY, Yang C, Liu M, Kang CS. F25P preproinsulin abrogates the secretion of pro-growth factors from EGFRvIII cells and suppresses tumor growth in an EGFRvIII/wt heterogenic model. Cancer Lett 2016; 380:1-9. [PMID: 27317648 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Extensive heterogeneity is a defining hallmark of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at the cellular and molecular levels. EGFRvIII, the most common EGFR mutant, is expressed in 24-67% of cases and strongly indicates a poor survival prognosis. By co-expressing EGFRvIII and EGFRwt, we established an EGFRvIII/wt heterogenic model. Using this approach, we confirmed that a mixture of EGFRvIII and EGFRwt at a certain ratio could clearly enhance tumor growth in vitro and in vivo compared with EGFRwt cells, thereby indicating that EGFRvIII cells promote tumor growth. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the EGFRvIII cells could support the growth of EGFRwt cells by secreting growth factors, thus acting as the principal source for maintaining tumor survival. F25P preproinsulin effectively reduced the concentrations of EGF, VEGF, and MMP-9 in the blood of tumor-bearing mice by competitively inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum signal peptidase and increased the overall survival in orthotopic models. Taken together, our results provided an effective therapy of F25P preproinsulin in the EGFRvIII/wt heterogenic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Wei Wei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Jing-Qiu Cui
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- Department of Head & Neck, Tianjin Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Chuan Fang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Hospital affiliated to Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Yan-Li Tan
- College of Fundamental Medicine, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China
| | - Lu-Yue Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chun-Sheng Kang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Tianjin 300052, China.
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11
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Li L, Puliyappadamba VT, Chakraborty S, Rehman A, Vemireddy V, Saha D, Souza RF, Hatanpaa KJ, Koduru P, Burma S, Boothman DA, Habib AA. EGFR wild type antagonizes EGFRvIII-mediated activation of Met in glioblastoma. Oncogene 2015; 34:129-134. [PMID: 24362532 PMCID: PMC4804705 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)vIII is the most common EGFR mutant found in glioblastoma (GBM). EGFRvIII does not bind ligand, is highly oncogenic and is usually coexpressed with EGFR wild type (EGFRwt). EGFRvIII activates Met, and Met contributes to EGFRvIII-mediated oncogenicity and resistance to treatment. Here, we report that addition of EGF results in a rapid loss of EGFRvIII-driven Met phosphorylation in glioma cells. Met is associated with EGFRvIII in a physical complex. Addition of EGF results in a dissociation of the EGFRvIII-Met complex with a concomitant loss of Met phosphorylation. Consistent with the abrogation of Met activation, addition of EGF results in the inhibition of EGFRvIII-mediated resistance to chemotherapy. Thus, our study suggests that ligand in the milieu of EGFRvIII-expressing GBM cells is likely to influence the EGFRvIII-Met interaction and resistance to treatment, and highlights a novel antagonistic interaction between EGFRwt and EGFRvIII in glioma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Li
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - VT Puliyappadamba
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - S Chakraborty
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - A Rehman
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - V Vemireddy
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - D Saha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - RF Souza
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Esophagal Diseases Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - KJ Hatanpaa
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - P Koduru
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - S Burma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - DA Boothman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - AA Habib
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX, USA
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12
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Microenvironmental stiffness enhances glioma cell proliferation by stimulating epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101771. [PMID: 25000176 PMCID: PMC4084995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The aggressive and rapidly lethal brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with profound tissue stiffening and genomic lesions in key members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that increasing microenvironmental stiffness in culture can strongly enhance glioma cell behaviors relevant to tumor progression, including proliferation, yet it has remained unclear whether stiffness and EGFR regulate proliferation through common or independent signaling mechanisms. Here we test the hypothesis that microenvironmental stiffness regulates cell cycle progression and proliferation in GBM tumor cells by altering EGFR-dependent signaling. We began by performing an unbiased reverse phase protein array screen, which revealed that stiffness modulates expression and phosphorylation of a broad range of signals relevant to proliferation, including members of the EGFR pathway. We subsequently found that culturing human GBM tumor cells on progressively stiffer culture substrates both dramatically increases proliferation and facilitates passage through the G1/S checkpoint of the cell cycle, consistent with an EGFR-dependent process. Western Blots showed that increasing microenvironmental stiffness enhances the expression and phosphorylation of EGFR and its downstream effector Akt. Pharmacological loss-of-function studies revealed that the stiffness-sensitivity of proliferation is strongly blunted by inhibition of EGFR, Akt, or PI3 kinase. Finally, we observed that stiffness strongly regulates EGFR clustering, with phosphorylated EGFR condensing into vinculin-positive focal adhesions on stiff substrates and dispersing as microenvironmental stiffness falls to physiological levels. Our findings collectively support a model in which tissue stiffening promotes GBM proliferation by spatially and biochemically amplifying EGFR signaling.
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13
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Regulation of HGF expression by ΔEGFR-mediated c-Met activation in glioblastoma cells. Neoplasia 2013; 15:73-84. [PMID: 23359207 DOI: 10.1593/neo.121536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Revised: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met) and a constitutively active mutant of the epidermal growth factor receptor (ΔEGFR/EGFRvIII) are frequently overexpressed in glioblastoma (GBM) and promote tumorigenesis. The mechanisms underlying elevated hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) production in GBM are not understood. We found higher, coordinated mRNA expression levels of HGF and c-Met in mesenchymal (Mes) GBMs, a subtype associated with poor treatment response and shorter overall survival. In an HGF/c-Met-dependent GBM cell line, HGF expression declined upon silencing of c-Met using RNAi or by inhibiting its activity with SU11274. Silencing c-Met decreased anchorage-independent colony formation and increased the survival of mice bearing intracranial GBM xenografts. Consistent with these findings, c-Met activation by ΔEGFR also elevated HGF expression, and the inhibition of ΔEGFR with AG1478 reduced HGF levels. Interestingly, c-Met expression was required for ΔEGFR-mediated HGF production, anchorage-independent growth, and in vivo tumorigenicity, suggesting that these pathways are coupled. Using an unbiased mass spectrometry-based screen, we show that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) Y705 is a downstream target of c-Met signaling. Suppression of STAT3 phosphorylation with WP1193 reduced HGF expression in ΔEGFR-expressing GBM cells, whereas constitutively active STAT3 partially rescued HGF expression and colony formation in c-Met knockdown cells expressing ΔEGFR. These results suggest that the c-Met/HGF signaling axis is enhanced by ΔEGFR through increased STAT3-dependent HGF expression and that targeting c-Met in Mes GBMs may be an important strategy for therapy.
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14
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Li L, Chakraborty S, Yang CR, Hatanpaa KJ, Cipher DJ, Puliyappadamba VT, Rehman A, Jiwani AJ, Mickey B, Madden C, Raisanen J, Burma S, Saha D, Wang Z, Pingle SC, Kesari S, Boothman DA, Habib AA. An EGFR wild type-EGFRvIII-HB-EGF feed-forward loop regulates the activation of EGFRvIII. Oncogene 2013; 33:4253-64. [PMID: 24077285 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
EGFRvIII is a key oncogene in glioblastoma (GBM). EGFRvIII results from an in-frame deletion in the extracellular domain of EGFR, does not bind ligand and is thought to be constitutively active. Although EGFRvIII dimerization is known to activate EGFRvIII, the factors that drive EGFRvIII dimerization and activation are not well understood. Here we present a new model of EGFRvIII activation and propose that oncogenic activation of EGFRvIII in glioma cells is driven by co-expressed activated EGFR wild type (EGFRwt). Increasing EGFRwt leads to a striking increase in EGFRvIII tyrosine phosphorylation and activation while silencing EGFRwt inhibits EGFRvIII activation. Both the dimerization arm and the kinase activity of EGFRwt are required for EGFRvIII activation. EGFRwt activates EGFRvIII by facilitating EGFRvIII dimerization. We have previously identified HB-EGF, a ligand for EGFRwt, as a gene induced specifically by EGFRvIII. In this study, we show that HB-EGF is induced by EGFRvIII only when EGFRwt is present. Remarkably, altering HB-EGF recapitulates the effect of EGFRwt on EGFRvIII activation. Thus, increasing HB-EGF leads to a striking increase in EGFRvIII tyrosine phosphorylation while silencing HB-EGF attenuates EGFRvIII phosphorylation, suggesting that an EGFRvIII-HB-EGF-EGFRwt feed-forward loop regulates EGFRvIII activation. Silencing EGFRwt or HB-EGF leads to a striking inhibition of EGFRvIII-induced tumorigenicity, while increasing EGFRwt or HB-EGF levels resulted in accelerated EGFRvIII-mediated oncogenicity in an orthotopic mouse model. Furthermore, we demonstrate the existence of this loop in human GBM. Thus, our data demonstrate that oncogenic activation of EGFRvIII in GBM is likely maintained by a continuous EGFRwt-EGFRvIII-HB-EGF loop, potentially an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Li
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - S Chakraborty
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - C-R Yang
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - K J Hatanpaa
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - D J Cipher
- College of Nursing, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - V T Puliyappadamba
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - A Rehman
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - A J Jiwani
- Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - B Mickey
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - C Madden
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - J Raisanen
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - S Burma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - D Saha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - S C Pingle
- Department of Neurosciences, Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, CA, USA
| | - S Kesari
- Department of Neurosciences, Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, CA, USA
| | - D A Boothman
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - A A Habib
- 1] Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA [2] Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA [3] VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX, USA
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15
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Gan HK, Cvrljevic AN, Johns TG. The epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII): where wild things are altered. FEBS J 2013; 280:5350-70. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.12393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui K. Gan
- Tumour Targeting Program; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Anna N. Cvrljevic
- Oncogenic Signaling Laboratory; Monash University; Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Terrance G. Johns
- Oncogenic Signaling Laboratory; Monash University; Clayton Victoria Australia
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16
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Kancha RK, von Bubnoff N, Duyster J. Asymmetric kinase dimer formation is crucial for the activation of oncogenic EGFRvIII but not for ERBB3 phosphorylation. Cell Commun Signal 2013; 11:39. [PMID: 23758840 PMCID: PMC3726407 DOI: 10.1186/1478-811x-11-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Formation of asymmetric kinase dimers is required for wt-EGFR activation upon ligand stimulation. The role of receptor dimerization in oncogenic EGFRvIII mutant activation is not completely understood and the molecular details of EGFRvIII interactions within homo-dimers and hetero-dimers are not elucidated yet. Findings By employing mutations that disrupt the asymmetric kinase dimer interface in EGFRvIII, we demonstrate that the mechanism of oncogenic EGFRvIII mutant activation is similar to that of the full-length wild-type EGFR. Surprisingly, the monomeric EGFRvIII lacks autophosphorylation and the formation of asymmetric kinase dimers is indispensable for oncogenic kinase activation. In addition, we show that ERBB3 can act as an activator of EGFRvIII by forming asymmetric kinase dimer in a ligand-independent manner. Interestingly, we found that the formation of asymmetric kinase dimer is dispensable for ERBB3 phosphorylation by the activated EGFR kinase as well as the ERBB2 kinase thus revealing a novel model for receptor function. Conclusions Lateral signaling is a novel mechanism of signal propagation via ERBB3 upon activation by EGFR/ERBB2 kinase even in the absence of their ability to form asymmetric kinase dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama Krishna Kancha
- Department Medicine I, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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17
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Gururaj AE, Gibson L, Panchabhai S, Bai M, Manyam G, Lu Y, Latha K, Rojas ML, Hwang Y, Liang S, Bogler O. Access to the nucleus and functional association with c-Myc is required for the full oncogenic potential of ΔEGFR/EGFRvIII. J Biol Chem 2012; 288:3428-38. [PMID: 23250739 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.399352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
ΔEGFR is a potent glioblastoma oncogene which has been studied primarily as a plasma membrane kinase. Using intracranial xenograft studies in mice, we show that blocking ΔEGFR access to the nucleus attenuates its tumorigenicity and, conversely, that promoting nuclear accumulation enhances this, providing the first in vivo evidence that the nuclear actions of ΔEGFR contribute strongly to its oncogenic function. Nuclear actions of ΔEGFR include regulation of gene expression by participation in chromatin-bound complexes, and genome-wide mapping of these sequences by chromatin immunoprecipitation and massively parallel sequencing identified 2294 peaks. Bioinformatic analysis showed enrichment of the E-box motif in the dataset, and c-Myc and ΔEGFR were corecruited to the promoters of and transcriptionally activated a subset of nuclear ΔEGFR chromatin targets. Knockdown of c-Myc decreased the expression of these targets and diminished ΔEGFR-stimulated anchorage-independent colony formation. We conclude that transcriptional regulation of target genes by association with gene regulatory chromatin in cooperation with c-Myc by nuclear ΔEGFR makes a unique contribution to its oncogenicity and propose that this venue provides new targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupama E Gururaj
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
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