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Pharmaco-proteogenomic profiling of pediatric diffuse midline glioma to inform future treatment strategies. Oncogene 2021; 41:461-475. [PMID: 34759345 PMCID: PMC8782719 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02102-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a deadly pediatric and adolescent central nervous system (CNS) tumor localized along the midline structures of the brain atop the spinal cord. With a median overall survival (OS) of just 9–11-months, DMG is characterized by global hypomethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), driven by recurring somatic mutations in H3 genes including, HIST1H3B/C (H3.1K27M) or H3F3A (H3.3K27M), or through overexpression of EZHIP in patients harboring wildtype H3. The recent World Health Organization’s 5th Classification of CNS Tumors now designates DMG as, ‘H3 K27-altered’, suggesting that global H3K27me3 hypomethylation is a ubiquitous feature of DMG and drives devastating transcriptional programs for which there are no treatments. H3-alterations co-segregate with various other somatic driver mutations, highlighting the high-level of intertumoral heterogeneity of DMG. Furthermore, DMG is also characterized by very high-level intratumoral diversity with tumors harboring multiple subclones within each primary tumor. Each subclone contains their own combinations of driver and passenger lesions that continually evolve, making precision-based medicine challenging to successful execute. Whilst the intertumoral heterogeneity of DMG has been extensively investigated, this is yet to translate to an increase in patient survival. Conversely, our understanding of the non-genomic factors that drive the rapid growth and fatal nature of DMG, including endogenous and exogenous microenvironmental influences, neurological cues, and the posttranscriptional and posttranslational architecture of DMG remains enigmatic or at best, immature. However, these factors are likely to play a significant role in the complex biological sequelae that drives the disease. Here we summarize the heterogeneity of DMG and emphasize how analysis of the posttranslational architecture may improve treatment paradigms. We describe factors that contribute to treatment response and disease progression, as well as highlight the potential for pharmaco-proteogenomics (i.e., the integration of genomics, proteomics and pharmacology) in the management of this uniformly fatal cancer.
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Chew NJ, Lim Kam Sian TCC, Nguyen EV, Shin SY, Yang J, Hui MN, Deng N, McLean CA, Welm AL, Lim E, Gregory P, Nottle T, Lang T, Vereker M, Richardson G, Kerr G, Micati D, Jardé T, Abud HE, Lee RS, Swarbrick A, Daly RJ. Evaluation of FGFR targeting in breast cancer through interrogation of patient-derived models. Breast Cancer Res 2021; 23:82. [PMID: 34344433 PMCID: PMC8336364 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-021-01461-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Particular breast cancer subtypes pose a clinical challenge due to limited targeted therapeutic options and/or poor responses to the existing targeted therapies. While cell lines provide useful pre-clinical models, patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and organoids (PDO) provide significant advantages, including maintenance of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, 3D architecture and for PDX, tumor-stroma interactions. In this study, we applied an integrated multi-omic approach across panels of breast cancer PDXs and PDOs in order to identify candidate therapeutic targets, with a major focus on specific FGFRs. METHODS MS-based phosphoproteomics, RNAseq, WES and Western blotting were used to characterize aberrantly activated protein kinases and effects of specific FGFR inhibitors. PDX and PDO were treated with the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors AZD4547 (FGFR1-3) and BLU9931 (FGFR4). FGFR4 expression in cancer tissue samples and PDOs was assessed by immunohistochemistry. METABRIC and TCGA datasets were interrogated to identify specific FGFR alterations and their association with breast cancer subtype and patient survival. RESULTS Phosphoproteomic profiling across 18 triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and 1 luminal B PDX revealed considerable heterogeneity in kinase activation, but 1/3 of PDX exhibited enhanced phosphorylation of FGFR1, FGFR2 or FGFR4. One TNBC PDX with high FGFR2 activation was exquisitely sensitive to AZD4547. Integrated 'omic analysis revealed a novel FGFR2-SKI fusion that comprised the majority of FGFR2 joined to the C-terminal region of SKI containing the coiled-coil domains. High FGFR4 phosphorylation characterized a luminal B PDX model and treatment with BLU9931 significantly decreased tumor growth. Phosphoproteomic and transcriptomic analyses confirmed on-target action of the two anti-FGFR drugs and also revealed novel effects on the spliceosome, metabolism and extracellular matrix (AZD4547) and RIG-I-like and NOD-like receptor signaling (BLU9931). Interrogation of public datasets revealed FGFR2 amplification, fusion or mutation in TNBC and other breast cancer subtypes, while FGFR4 overexpression and amplification occurred in all breast cancer subtypes and were associated with poor prognosis. Characterization of a PDO panel identified a luminal A PDO with high FGFR4 expression that was sensitive to BLU9931 treatment, further highlighting FGFR4 as a potential therapeutic target. CONCLUSIONS This work highlights how patient-derived models of human breast cancer provide powerful platforms for therapeutic target identification and analysis of drug action, and also the potential of specific FGFRs, including FGFR4, as targets for precision treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J Chew
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Terry C C Lim Kam Sian
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Elizabeth V Nguyen
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Sung-Young Shin
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Jessica Yang
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Mun N Hui
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Niantao Deng
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Catriona A McLean
- Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Alana L Welm
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Elgene Lim
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | | | - Tim Nottle
- TissuPath, Mount Waverley, VIC, 3149, Australia
| | - Tali Lang
- Szalmuk Family Department of Medical Oncology, Cabrini Institute, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia
| | - Melissa Vereker
- Szalmuk Family Department of Medical Oncology, Cabrini Institute, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia
| | - Gary Richardson
- Szalmuk Family Department of Medical Oncology, Cabrini Institute, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia
| | - Genevieve Kerr
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Diana Micati
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Thierry Jardé
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Helen E Abud
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Rachel S Lee
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alex Swarbrick
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Roger J Daly
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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3
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Potassium and Chloride Ion Channels in Cancer: A Novel Paradigm for Cancer Therapeutics. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 183:135-155. [PMID: 34291318 DOI: 10.1007/112_2021_62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a collection of diseases caused by specific changes at the genomic level that support cell proliferation indefinitely. Traditionally, ion channels are known to control a variety of cellular processes including electrical signal generation and transmission, secretion, and contraction by controlling ionic gradients. However, recent studies had brought to light important facts on ion channels in cancer biology.In this review we discuss the mechanism linking potassium or chloride ion channel activity to biochemical pathways controlling proliferation in cancer cells and the potential advantages of targeting ion channels as an anticancer therapeutic option.
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Mohr CJ, Schroth W, Mürdter TE, Gross D, Maier S, Stegen B, Dragoi A, Steudel FA, Stehling S, Hoppe R, Madden S, Ruth P, Huber SM, Brauch H, Lukowski R. Subunits of BK channels promote breast cancer development and modulate responses to endocrine treatment in preclinical models. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 179:2906-2924. [PMID: 32468618 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pore-forming α subunits of the voltage- and Ca2+ -activated K+ channel with large conductance (BKα) promote malignant phenotypes of breast tumour cells. Auxiliary subunits such as the leucine-rich repeat containing 26 (LRRC26) protein, also termed BKγ1, may be required to permit activation of BK currents at a depolarized resting membrane potential that frequently occur in non-excitable tumour cells. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Anti-tumour effects of BKα loss were investigated in breast tumour-bearing MMTV-PyMT transgenic BKα knockout (KO) mice, primary MMTV-PyMT cell cultures, and in a syngeneic transplantation model of breast cancer derived from these cells. The therapeutic relevance of BK channels in the context of endocrine treatment was assessed in human breast cancer cell lines expressing either low (MCF-7) or high (MDA-MB-453) levels of BKα and BKγ1, as well as in BKα-negative MDA-MB-157. KEY RESULTS BKα promoted breast cancer onset and overall survival in preclinical models. Conversely, lack of BKα and/or knockdown of BKγ1 attenuated proliferation of murine and human breast cancer cells in vitro. At low concentrations, tamoxifen and its major active metabolites stimulated proliferation of BKα/γ1-positive breast cancer cells, independent of the genomic signalling controlled by the oestrogen receptor. Finally, tamoxifen increased the relative survival time of BKα KO but not of wild-type tumour cell recipient mice. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Breast cancer initiation, progression, and tamoxifen sensitivity depend on functional BK channels thereby providing a rationale for the future exploration of the oncogenic actions of BK channels in clinical outcomes with anti-oestrogen therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna J Mohr
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Werner Schroth
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas E Mürdter
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Dominic Gross
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Selina Maier
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.,Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stegen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Alice Dragoi
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Friederike A Steudel
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Severine Stehling
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Reiner Hoppe
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stephen Madden
- RCSI Division of Population Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter Ruth
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stephan M Huber
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hiltrud Brauch
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and University of Tuebingen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,iFIT-Cluster of Excellence, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Robert Lukowski
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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B-Raf deficiency impairs tumor initiation and progression in a murine breast cancer model. Oncogene 2019; 38:1324-1339. [DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0663-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Su SP, Flashner-Abramson E, Klein S, Gal M, Lee RS, Wu J, Levitzki A, Daly RJ. Impact of the Anticancer Drug NT157 on Tyrosine Kinase Signaling Networks. Mol Cancer Ther 2018; 17:931-942. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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p53 deficiency induces cancer stem cell pool expansion in a mouse model of triple-negative breast tumors. Oncogene 2016; 36:2355-2365. [PMID: 27775073 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease characterized by the expression of basal cell markers, no estrogen or progesterone receptor expression and a lack of HER2 overexpression. Triple-negative tumors often display activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling and most have impaired p53 function. We studied the interplay between p53 loss and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in stem cell function and tumorigenesis, by deleting p53 from the mammary epithelium of K5ΔNβcat mice displaying a constitutive activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in basal cells. K5ΔNβcat transgenic mice present amplification of the basal stem cell pool and develop triple-negative mammary carcinomas. The loss of p53 in K5ΔNβcat mice led to an early expansion of mammary stem/progenitor cells and accelerated the formation of triple-negative tumors. In particular, p53-deficient tumors expressed high levels of integrins and extracellular matrix components and were enriched in cancer stem cells. They also overexpressed the tyrosine kinase receptor Met, a feature characteristic of human triple-negative breast tumors. The inhibition of Met kinase activity impaired tumorsphere formation, demonstrating the requirement of Met signaling for cancer stem cell growth in this model. Human basal-like breast cancers with predicted mutated p53 status had higher levels of MET expression than tumors with wild-type p53. These results connect p53 loss and β-catenin activation to stem cell regulation and tumorigenesis in triple-negative cancer and highlight the role of Met signaling in maintaining cancer stem cell properties, revealing new cues for targeted therapies.
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8
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Carrier M, Joint M, Lutzing R, Page A, Rochette-Egly C. Phosphoproteome and Transcriptome of RA-Responsive and RA-Resistant Breast Cancer Cell Lines. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157290. [PMID: 27362937 PMCID: PMC4928811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [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: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA), the main active vitamin A metabolite, controls multiple biological processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation through genomic programs and kinase cascades activation. Due to these properties, RA has proven anti-cancer capacity. Several breast cancer cells respond to the antiproliferative effects of RA, while others are RA-resistant. However, the overall signaling and transcriptional pathways that are altered in such cells have not been elucidated. Here, in a large-scale analysis of the phosphoproteins and in a genome-wide analysis of the RA-regulated genes, we compared two human breast cancer cell lines, a RA-responsive one, the MCF7 cell line, and a RA-resistant one, the BT474 cell line, which depicts several alterations of the “kinome”. Using high-resolution nano-LC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry associated to phosphopeptide enrichment, we found that several proteins involved in signaling and in transcription, are differentially phosphorylated before and after RA addition. The paradigm of these proteins is the RA receptor α (RARα), which was phosphorylated in MCF7 cells but not in BT474 cells after RA addition. The panel of the RA-regulated genes was also different. Overall our results indicate that RA resistance might correlate with the deregulation of the phosphoproteome with consequences on gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn Carrier
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mathilde Joint
- Proteomics Platform, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, Strasbourg, France
| | - Régis Lutzing
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, Strasbourg, France
| | - Adeline Page
- Proteomics Platform, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cécile Rochette-Egly
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), INSERM, U964, CNRS, UMR7104, Université de Strasbourg, 1 rue Laurent Fries, BP 10142, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, Strasbourg, France
- * E-mail:
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9
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M. Riley
- Genome Center of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Joshua J. Coon
- Genome Center of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Tactacan CM, Phua YW, Liu L, Zhang L, Humphrey ES, Cowley M, Pinese M, Biankin AV, Daly RJ. The pseudokinase SgK223 promotes invasion of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells through JAK1/Stat3 signaling. Mol Cancer 2015; 14:139. [PMID: 26215634 PMCID: PMC4517651 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-015-0412-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterization of molecular mechanisms underpinning development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. SgK223, also known as Pragmin, is a pseudokinase and scaffolding protein closely related to SgK269/PEAK1. Both proteins are implicated in oncogenic tyrosine kinase signaling, but their mechanisms and function remain poorly characterized. METHODS Expression of SgK223 in PDAC and PDAC cell lines was characterized using gene expression microarrays, mass spectrometry (MS)-based phosphoproteomics and Western blotting. SgK223 was overexpressed in human pancreatic ductal epithelial (HPDE) cells via retroviral transduction, and knocked down in PDAC cells using siRNA. Cell proliferation was determined using a colorimetric cell viability assay, and cell migration and invasion using transwells. Expression of markers of epithelial-mesenchyme transition (EMT) was assayed by quantitative PCR. SgK223 and Stat3 signaling was interrogated by immunoprecipitation, Western blot and gene reporter assays. The functional role of specific kinases and Stat3 was determined using selective small molecule inhibitors. RESULTS Elevated site-selective tyrosine phosphorylation of SgK223 was identified in subsets of PDAC cell lines, and increased expression of SgK223 detected in several PDAC cell lines compared to human pancreatic ductal epithelial (HPDE) cells and in PDACs compared to normal pancreas. Expression of SgK223 in HPDE cells at levels comparable to those in PDAC did not alter cell proliferation but led to a more elongated morphology, enhanced migration and invasion and induced gene expression changes characteristic of a partial EMT. While SgK223 overexpression did not affect activation of Erk or Akt, it led to increased Stat3 Tyr705 phosphorylation and Stat3 transcriptional activity, and SgK223 and Stat3 associated in vivo. SgK223-overexpressing cells exhibited increased JAK1 activation, and use of selective inhibitors determined that the increased Stat3 signaling driven by SgK223 was JAK-dependent. Pharmacological inhibition of Stat3 revealed that Stat3 activation was required for the enhanced motility and invasion of SgK223-overexpressing cells. CONCLUSIONS Increased expression of SgK223 occurs in PDAC, and overexpression of SgK223 in pancreatic ductal epithelial cells promotes acquisition of a migratory and invasive phenotype through enhanced JAK1/Stat3 signaling. This represents the first association of SgK223 with a particular human cancer, and links SgK223 with a major signaling pathway strongly implicated in PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole M Tactacan
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Yu Wei Phua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Ling Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Luxi Zhang
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Emily S Humphrey
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
| | - Mark Cowley
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
| | - Mark Pinese
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
| | - Andrew V Biankin
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, G61 1BD, UK.
| | - Roger J Daly
- Cancer Research Division, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, Building 77, 23 Innovation Walk, Monash, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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