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Turchini J, Sioson L, Clarkson A, Sheen A, Delbridge L, Glover A, Sywak M, Sidhu S, Gill AJ. The Presence of Typical "BRAFV600E-Like" Atypia in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma is Highly Specific for the Presence of the BRAFV600E Mutation. Endocr Pathol 2023; 34:112-118. [PMID: 36709221 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-022-09747-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) are driven by a variety of molecular abnormalities including BRAF, RAS, ALK, RET, and NTRK alterations. PTCs driven by the BRAFV600E mutation, or tumours which demonstrate a similar gene expression profile to PTCs driven by this mutation, have been reported to demonstrate specific morphological features sometimes termed "BRAFV600E-like" atypia. BRAFV600E-like atypia is characterised by a well-developed papillary architecture, infiltrative growth, marked nuclear clearing, prominent intranuclear pseudoinclusions, abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, and scattered psammoma bodies. We sought to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of these morphological features for the presence of BRAFV600E mutation in PTCs as determined by mutation specific immunohistochemistry. An unselected cohort of 495 PTCs was reviewed by a single pathologist and categorised into three groups: typical BRAFV600E-like atypia (145 cases, 29%), possible BRAFV600E-like atypia (166 cases, 33%) and little/no BRAFV600E-like atypia (184 cases, 37%). The specificity and sensitivity of typical BRAFV600E-like atypia for the BRAFV600E mutation was 97.2% and 44.3%, respectively. When typical and possible BRAFV600E-like atypia were analysed together, the specificity was 70.6% and the sensitivity was 81.7%. In the morphologically little/no BRAFV600E-like atypia group, 58 cases (31.5%) had a BRAFV600E mutation. We conclude that typical BRAFV600E-like atypia is highly specific for the presence of the BRAFV600E mutation; however, the absence of BRAFV600E-like atypia does not exclude this mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Turchini
- Anatomical Pathology, Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, 14 Giffnock Avenue, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2113, Australia.
- Discipline of Pathology, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia.
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia.
| | - Loretta Sioson
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Adele Clarkson
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW Health Pathology, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Amy Sheen
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Leigh Delbridge
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
- Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Anthony Glover
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
- Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Mark Sywak
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
- Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Stan Sidhu
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
- Endocrine Surgical Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
| | - Anthony J Gill
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
- Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW Health Pathology, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia
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Obrador E, Salvador-Palmer R, López-Blanch R, Oriol-Caballo M, Moreno-Murciano P, Estrela JM. Survival Mechanisms of Metastatic Melanoma Cells: The Link between Glucocorticoids and the Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Defense System. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030418. [PMID: 36766760 PMCID: PMC9913432 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating glucocorticoids increase during stress. Chronic stress, characterized by a sustained increase in serum levels of cortisol, has been associated in different cases with an increased risk of cancer and a worse prognosis. Glucocorticoids can promote gluconeogenesis, mobilization of amino acids, fat breakdown, and impair the body's immune response. Therefore, conditions that may favor cancer growth and the acquisition of radio- and chemo-resistance. We found that glucocorticoid receptor knockdown diminishes the antioxidant protection of murine B16-F10 (highly metastatic) melanoma cells, thus leading to a drastic decrease in their survival during interaction with the vascular endothelium. The BRAFV600E mutation is the most commonly observed in melanoma patients. Recent studies revealed that VMF/PLX40-32 (vemurafenib, a selective inhibitor of mutant BRAFV600E) increases mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in BRAFV600E human melanoma cell lines. Early-stage cancer cells lacking Nrf2 generate high ROS levels and exhibit a senescence-like growth arrest. Thus, it is likely that a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU486) could increase the efficacy of BRAF-related therapy in BRAFV600E-mutated melanoma. In fact, during early progression of skin melanoma metastases, RU486 and VMF induced metastases regression. However, treatment at an advanced stage of growth found resistance to RU486 and VMF. This resistance was mechanistically linked to overexpression of proteins of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 in different human models). Moreover, melanoma resistance was decreased if AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways were blocked. These findings highlight mechanisms by which metastatic melanoma cells adapt to survive and could help in the development of most effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Obrador
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
| | - Rosario Salvador-Palmer
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Blanch
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Oriol-Caballo
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - José M. Estrela
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
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Eshraghi R, Barkan GA, Pambuccian SE. Rhabdoid cells in the fine needle aspirate of a neck mass in a patient with history of melanoma: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Diagn Cytopathol 2019; 47:1232-1236. [PMID: 31348613 DOI: 10.1002/dc.24284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Reza Eshraghi
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Güliz A Barkan
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Stefan E Pambuccian
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
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Mehaffey MR, Sanders JD, Holden DD, Nilsson CL, Brodbelt JS. Multistage Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry To Characterize Single Amino Acid Variants of Human Mitochondrial BCAT2. Anal Chem 2018; 90:9904-9911. [PMID: 30016590 PMCID: PMC6323636 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling disease mechanisms requires a comprehensive understanding of how the interplay between higher-order structure and protein-ligand interactions impacts the function of a given protein. Recent advances in native mass spectrometry (MS) involving multimodal or higher-energy activation methods have allowed direct interrogation of intact protein complexes in the gas phase, allowing analysis of both composition and subunit connectivity. We report a multistage approach combining collisional activation and 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) to characterize single amino acid variants of the human mitochondrial enzyme branched-chain amino acid transferase 2 (BCAT2), a protein implicated in chemotherapeutic resistance in glioblastoma tumors. Native electrospray ionization confirms that both proteins exist as homodimers. Front-end collisional activation disassembles the dimers into monomeric subunits that are further interrogated using UVPD to yield high sequence coverage of the mutated region. Additionally, holo (ligand-bound) fragment ions resulting from photodissociation reveal that the mutation causes destabilization of the interactions with a bound cofactor. This study demonstrates the unique advantages of implementing UVPD in a multistage MS approach for analyzing intact protein assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Rachel Mehaffey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - James D. Sanders
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Dustin D. Holden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Carol L. Nilsson
- Institute of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, SE-221, Lund Sweden
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Giordano TJ. Genomic Hallmarks of Thyroid Neoplasia. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2017; 13:141-162. [PMID: 29083981 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-121808-102139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The genomic landscape of thyroid cancers that are derived from follicular cells has been substantially elucidated through the coordinated application of high-throughput genomic technologies. Here, I review the common genetic alterations across the spectrum of thyroid neoplasia and present the resulting model of thyroid cancer initiation and progression. This model illustrates the striking correlation between tumor differentiation and overall somatic mutational burden, which also likely explains the highly variable clinical behavior and outcome of patients with thyroid cancers. These advances are yielding critical insights into thyroid cancer pathogenesis, which are being leveraged for the development of new diagnostic tools, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, and novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Giordano
- Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
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Anderson LC, Håkansson M, Walse B, Nilsson CL. Intact Protein Analysis at 21 Tesla and X-Ray Crystallography Define Structural Differences in Single Amino Acid Variants of Human Mitochondrial Branched-Chain Amino Acid Aminotransferase 2 (BCAT2). JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2017; 28:1796-1804. [PMID: 28681360 PMCID: PMC5556139 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-017-1705-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Structural technologies are an essential component in the design of precision therapeutics. Precision medicine entails the development of therapeutics directed toward a designated target protein, with the goal to deliver the right drug to the right patient at the right time. In the field of oncology, protein structural variants are often associated with oncogenic potential. In a previous proteogenomic screen of patient-derived glioblastoma (GBM) tumor materials, we identified a sequence variant of human mitochondrial branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase 2 as a putative factor of resistance of GBM to standard-of-care-treatments. The enzyme generates glutamate, which is neurotoxic. To elucidate structural coordinates that may confer altered substrate binding or activity of the variant BCAT2 T186R, a ~45 kDa protein, we applied combined ETD and CID top-down mass spectrometry in a LC-FT-ICR MS at 21 T, and X-Ray crystallography in the study of both the variant and non-variant intact proteins. The combined ETD/CID fragmentation pattern allowed for not only extensive sequence coverage but also confident localization of the amino acid variant to its position in the sequence. The crystallographic experiments confirmed the hypothesis generated by in silico structural homology modeling, that the Lys59 side-chain of BCAT2 may repulse the Arg186 in the variant protein (PDB code: 5MPR), leading to destabilization of the protein dimer and altered enzyme kinetics. Taken together, the MS and novel 3D structural data give us reason to further pursue BCAT2 T186R as a precision drug target in GBM. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lissa C Anderson
- Ion Cyclotron Resonance Program, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA
| | - Maria Håkansson
- SARomics Biostructures AB, Medicon Village, SE-223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Björn Walse
- SARomics Biostructures AB, Medicon Village, SE-223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carol L Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX, 77555-1074, USA.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences-Lund, Lund University, SE-221 85, Lund, Sweden.
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