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Zyss D, Ribeiro SA, Ludlam MJC, Walter T, Fehri A. Cell segmentation in images without structural fluorescent labels. Biol Imaging 2023; 3:e16. [PMID: 38510169 PMCID: PMC10951928 DOI: 10.1017/s2633903x23000168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
High-content screening (HCS) provides an excellent tool to understand the mechanism of action of drugs on disease-relevant model systems. Careful selection of fluorescent labels (FLs) is crucial for successful HCS assay development. HCS assays typically comprise (a) FLs containing biological information of interest, and (b) additional structural FLs enabling instance segmentation for downstream analysis. However, the limited number of available fluorescence microscopy imaging channels restricts the degree to which these FLs can be experimentally multiplexed. In this article, we present a segmentation workflow that overcomes the dependency on structural FLs for image segmentation, typically freeing two fluorescence microscopy channels for biologically relevant FLs. It consists in extracting structural information encoded within readouts that are primarily biological, by fine-tuning pre-trained state-of-the-art generalist cell segmentation models for different combinations of individual FLs, and aggregating the respective segmentation results together. Using annotated datasets that we provide, we confirm our methodology offers improvements in performance and robustness across several segmentation aggregation strategies and image acquisition methods, over different cell lines and various FLs. It thus enables the biological information content of HCS assays to be maximized without compromising the robustness and accuracy of computational single-cell profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zyss
- Centre for Computational Biology (CBIO), Mines Paris, PSL University, Paris, France
- Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
- INSERM, U900, Paris, France
- Cairn Biosciences, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas Walter
- Centre for Computational Biology (CBIO), Mines Paris, PSL University, Paris, France
- Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
- INSERM, U900, Paris, France
| | - Amin Fehri
- Cairn Biosciences, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
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2
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Leverson JD, Zhang H, Chen J, Tahir SK, Phillips DC, Xue J, Nimmer P, Jin S, Smith M, Xiao Y, Kovar P, Tanaka A, Bruncko M, Sheppard GS, Wang L, Gierke S, Kategaya L, Anderson DJ, Wong C, Eastham-Anderson J, Ludlam MJC, Sampath D, Fairbrother WJ, Wertz I, Rosenberg SH, Tse C, Elmore SW, Souers AJ. Potent and selective small-molecule MCL-1 inhibitors demonstrate on-target cancer cell killing activity as single agents and in combination with ABT-263 (navitoclax). Cell Death Dis 2015; 6:e1590. [PMID: 25590800 PMCID: PMC4669759 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 is a key regulator of cancer cell survival and a known resistance factor for small-molecule BCL-2 family inhibitors such as ABT-263 (navitoclax), making it an attractive therapeutic target. However, directly inhibiting this target requires the disruption of high-affinity protein-protein interactions, and therefore designing small molecules potent enough to inhibit MCL-1 in cells has proven extremely challenging. Here, we describe a series of indole-2-carboxylic acids, exemplified by the compound A-1210477, that bind to MCL-1 selectively and with sufficient affinity to disrupt MCL-1-BIM complexes in living cells. A-1210477 induces the hallmarks of intrinsic apoptosis and demonstrates single agent killing of multiple myeloma and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines demonstrated to be MCL-1 dependent by BH3 profiling or siRNA rescue experiments. As predicted, A-1210477 synergizes with the BCL-2/BCL-XL inhibitor navitoclax to kill a variety of cancer cell lines. This work represents the first description of small-molecule MCL-1 inhibitors with sufficient potency to induce clear on-target cellular activity. It also demonstrates the utility of these molecules as chemical tools for dissecting the basic biology of MCL-1 and the promise of small-molecule MCL-1 inhibitors as potential therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Leverson
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - H Zhang
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - J Chen
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - S K Tahir
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - D C Phillips
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - J Xue
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - P Nimmer
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - S Jin
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - M Smith
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Y Xiao
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - P Kovar
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - A Tanaka
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - M Bruncko
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - G S Sheppard
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - L Wang
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - S Gierke
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - L Kategaya
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - D J Anderson
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - C Wong
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - M J C Ludlam
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - D Sampath
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - W J Fairbrother
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - I Wertz
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - S H Rosenberg
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - C Tse
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - S W Elmore
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - A J Souers
- Oncology Development, AbbVie, Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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Hatzivassiliou G, Haling JR, Chen H, Song K, Price S, Heald R, Hewitt JFM, Zak M, Peck A, Orr C, Merchant M, Hoeflich KP, Chan J, Luoh SM, Anderson DJ, Ludlam MJC, Wiesmann C, Ultsch M, Friedman LS, Malek S, Belvin M. Mechanism of MEK inhibition determines efficacy in mutant KRAS- versus BRAF-driven cancers. Nature 2013; 501:232-6. [PMID: 23934108 DOI: 10.1038/nature12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
KRAS and BRAF activating mutations drive tumorigenesis through constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway. As these tumours represent an area of high unmet medical need, multiple allosteric MEK inhibitors, which inhibit MAPK signalling in both genotypes, are being tested in clinical trials. Impressive single-agent activity in BRAF-mutant melanoma has been observed; however, efficacy has been far less robust in KRAS-mutant disease. Here we show that, owing to distinct mechanisms regulating MEK activation in KRAS- versus BRAF-driven tumours, different mechanisms of inhibition are required for optimal antitumour activity in each genotype. Structural and functional analysis illustrates that MEK inhibitors with superior efficacy in KRAS-driven tumours (GDC-0623 and G-573, the former currently in phase I clinical trials) form a strong hydrogen-bond interaction with S212 in MEK that is critical for blocking MEK feedback phosphorylation by wild-type RAF. Conversely, potent inhibition of active, phosphorylated MEK is required for strong inhibition of the MAPK pathway in BRAF-mutant tumours, resulting in superior efficacy in this genotype with GDC-0973 (also known as cobimetinib), a MEK inhibitor currently in phase III clinical trials. Our study highlights that differences in the activation state of MEK in KRAS-mutant tumours versus BRAF-mutant tumours can be exploited through the design of inhibitors that uniquely target these distinct activation states of MEK. These inhibitors are currently being evaluated in clinical trials to determine whether improvements in therapeutic index within KRAS versus BRAF preclinical models translate to improved clinical responses in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Hatzivassiliou
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
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Anderson DJ, Durieux JK, Song K, Alvarado R, Jackson PK, Hatzivassiliou G, Ludlam MJC. Live-cell microscopy reveals small molecule inhibitor effects on MAPK pathway dynamics. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22607. [PMID: 21829637 PMCID: PMC3150364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2011] [Accepted: 06/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway are prevalent in human tumors, making this pathway a target of drug development efforts. Recently, ATP-competitive Raf inhibitors were shown to cause MAPK pathway activation via Raf kinase priming in wild-type BRaf cells and tumors, highlighting the need for a thorough understanding of signaling in the context of small molecule kinase inhibitors. Here, we present critical improvements in cell-line engineering and image analysis coupled with automated image acquisition that allow for the simultaneous identification of cellular localization of multiple MAPK pathway components (KRas, CRaf, Mek1 and Erk2). We use these assays in a systematic study of the effect of small molecule inhibitors across the MAPK cascade either as single agents or in combination. Both Raf inhibitor priming as well as the release from negative feedback induced by Mek and Erk inhibitors cause translocation of CRaf to the plasma membrane via mechanisms that are additive in pathway activation. Analysis of Erk activation and sub-cellular localization upon inhibitor treatments reveals differential inhibition and activation with the Raf inhibitors AZD628 and GDC0879 respectively. Since both single agent and combination studies of Raf and Mek inhibitors are currently in the clinic, our assays provide valuable insight into their effects on MAPK signaling in live cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Anderson
- Department of Cell Regulation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jenni K. Durieux
- Department of Cell Regulation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Kyung Song
- Department of Cancer Signaling, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Alvarado
- Department of Cancer Signaling, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Peter K. Jackson
- Department of Cell Regulation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Georgia Hatzivassiliou
- Department of Cancer Signaling, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Mary J. C. Ludlam
- Department of Cell Regulation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Li W, Wang BE, Moran P, Lipari T, Ganesan R, Corpuz R, Ludlam MJC, Gogineni A, Koeppen H, Bunting S, Gao WQ, Kirchhofer D. Pegylated kunitz domain inhibitor suppresses hepsin-mediated invasive tumor growth and metastasis. Cancer Res 2009; 69:8395-402. [PMID: 19843851 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-1995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The transmembrane serine protease hepsin is one of the most highly upregulated genes in prostate cancer. Here, we investigated its tumor-promoting activity by use of a mouse orthotopic prostate cancer model. First, we compared the tumor growth of low hepsin-expressing LnCaP-17 cells with hepsin-overexpressing LnCaP-34 cells. After implantation of cells into the left anterior prostate lobe, LnCaP-34 tumors not only grew faster based on increased serum prostate-specific antigen levels but also metastasized to local lymph nodes and, most remarkably, invaded the contralateral side of the prostate at a rate of 100% compared with only 18% for LnCaP-17 tumors. The increased tumor growth was not due to nonspecific gene expression changes and was not predicted from the unaltered in vitro growth and invasion of LnCaP-34 cells. A likely explanation is that the in vivo effects of hepsin were mediated by specific hepsin substrates present in the tumor stroma. In a second study, mice bearing LnCaP-34 tumors were treated with a PEGylated form of Kunitz domain-1, a potent hepsin active site inhibitor derived from hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 (K(i)(app) 0.30 +/- 0.02 nmol/L). Treatment of established tumors with PEGylated Kunitz domain-1 decreased contralateral prostate invasion (46% weight reduction) and lymph node metastasis (50% inhibition). Moreover, serum prostate-specific antigen level remained reduced during the entire treatment period, reaching a maximal reduction of 76% after 5 weeks of dosing. The findings show that hepsin promotes invasive prostate tumor growth and metastasis and suggest that active site-directed hepsin inhibition could be effective in prostate cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Protein Engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
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