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Signaling networks associated with AKT activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): new insights on the role of phosphatydil-inositol-3 kinase.

ABSTRACT: Aberrant activation of PI3K/AKT signalling represents one of the most common molecular alterations in lung cancer, though the relative contribution of the single components of the cascade to the NSCLC development is still poorly defined. In this manuscript we have investigated the relationship between expression and genetic alterations of the components of the PI3K/AKT pathway [KRAS, the catalytic subunit of PI3K (p110?), PTEN, AKT1 and AKT2] and the activation of AKT in 107 surgically resected NSCLCs and have analyzed the existing relationships with clinico-pathologic features. Expression analysis was performed by immunohistochemistry on Tissue Micro Arrays (TMA); mutation analysis was performed by DNA sequencing; copy number variation was determined by FISH. We report that activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in Italian NSCLC patients is associated with high grade (G3-G4 compared with G1-G2; n?=?83; p<0.05) and more advanced disease (TNM stage III vs. stages I and II; n?=?26; p<0.05). In addition, we found that PTEN loss (41/104, 39%) and the overexpression of p110? (27/92, 29%) represent the most frequent aberration observed in NSCLCs. Less frequent molecular lesions comprised the overexpression of AKT2 (18/83, 22%) or AKT1 (17/96, 18%), and KRAS mutation (7/63, 11%). Our results indicate that, among all genes, only p110? overexpression was significantly associated to AKT activation in NSCLCs (p?=?0.02). Manipulation of p110? expression in lung cancer cells carrying an active PI3K allele (NCI-H460) efficiently reduced proliferation of NSCLC cells in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Finally, RNA profiling of lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) expressing a mutant allele of PIK3 (E545K) identified a network of transcription factors such as MYC, FOS and HMGA1, not previously recognised to be associated with aberrant PI3K signalling in lung cancer.

SUBMITTER: Scrima M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3281846 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Signaling networks associated with AKT activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): new insights on the role of phosphatydil-inositol-3 kinase.

Scrima Marianna M De Marco Carmela C Fabiani Fernanda F Franco Renato R Pirozzi Giuseppe G Rocco Gaetano G Ravo Maria M Weisz Alessandro A Zoppoli Pietro P Ceccarelli Michele M Botti Gerardo G Malanga Donatella D Viglietto Giuseppe G

PloS one 20120217 2

Aberrant activation of PI3K/AKT signalling represents one of the most common molecular alterations in lung cancer, though the relative contribution of the single components of the cascade to the NSCLC development is still poorly defined. In this manuscript we have investigated the relationship between expression and genetic alterations of the components of the PI3K/AKT pathway [KRAS, the catalytic subunit of PI3K (p110α), PTEN, AKT1 and AKT2] and the activation of AKT in 107 surgically resected ...[more]

PMID: 22363436

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Project description:Mutational activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a major player in the pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC patients with constitutively active EGFR mutations eventually develop drug resistance against EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors; therefore, better understandings of key components of mutant EGFR (mtEGFR) signaling are required. Here, we initially observed aberrantly high expression of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) in lung adenocarcinomas, especially those with EGFR mutations, and proceeded to examine the role of PKCα in the regulation of the signaling pathways downstream of mtEGFR. The results showed that NSCLC cell lines with constitutively active EGFR mutations tend to have very or moderately high PKCα levels. Furthermore, PKCα was constitutively activated in HCC827 and H4006 cells which have an EGFR deletion mutation in exon 19. Interestingly, mtEGFR was not required for the induction of PKCα at protein and message levels suggesting that the increased levels of PKCα are due to independent selection. On the other hand, mtEGFR activity was required for robust activation of PKCα. Loss of functions studies revealed that the NSCLC cells rely heavily on PKCα for the activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. Unexpectedly, the results demonstrated that PKCα was required for activation of Akt upstream of mTOR but only in cells with the mtEGFR and with the increased expression of PKCα. Functionally, inhibition of PKCα in HCC827 led to caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and a significant decrease in cell survival in response to cellular stress induced by serum starvation. In summary, the results identified important roles of PKCα in regulating mTORC1 activity in lung cancer cells, whereby a primary switching occurs from PKCα-independent to PKCα-dependent signaling in the presence of EGFR mutations. The results present PKCα as a potential synergistic target of personalized treatment for NSCLC with constitutively active mutant forms of EGFR and constitutively active PKCα.

Dataset Information

Signaling networks associated with AKT activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): new insights on the role of phosphatydil-inositol-3 kinase.

Publications

Signaling networks associated with AKT activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): new insights on the role of phosphatydil-inositol-3 kinase.

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