Project description:Cancer cell proliferation requires precise control of E2F1 activity; excess activity promotes apoptosis. We developed cell-permeable and bioavailable macrocycles that selectively kill small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells with inherent high E2F1 activity by blocking RxL-mediated interactions of cyclin A and cyclin B with select substrates. This work uncovers gain-of-function mechanisms by which cyclin A/Bi induce apoptosis in cancers with high E2F activity, and suggests cyclin A/Bi as a therapeutic strategy for SCLC and other cancers driven by high E2F activity.
Project description:Cancer cell proliferation requires precise control of E2F1 activity; excess activity promotes apoptosis. Here, we developed cell-permeable and bioavailable macrocycles that selectively kill small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells with inherent high E2F1 activity by blocking RxL-mediated interactions of cyclin A and cyclin B with select substrates. Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and random mutagenesis screens found that cyclin A/B RxL macrocyclic inhibitors (cyclin A/Bi) induced apoptosis paradoxically by cyclin B- and Cdk2-dependent spindle assembly checkpoint activation (SAC). Mechanistically, cyclin A/Bi hyperactivate E2F1 and cyclin B by blocking their RxL-interactions with cyclin A and Myt1, respectively, ultimately leading to SAC activation and mitotic cell death. Base editor screens identified cyclin B variants that confer cyclin A/Bi resistance including several variants that disrupted cyclin B:Cdk interactions. Unexpectedly but consistent with our base editor and knockout screens, cyclin A/Bi induced the formation of neo-morphic Cdk2-cyclin B complexes that promote SAC activation and apoptosis. Finally, orally-bioavailable cyclin A/Bi robustly inhibited tumor growth in chemotherapy-resistant patient-derived xenograft models of SCLC. This work uncovers gain-of-function mechanisms by which cyclin A/Bi induce apoptosis in cancers with high E2F activity, and suggests cyclin A/Bi as a therapeutic strategy for SCLC and other cancers driven by high E2F activity.
Project description:The emerging correlation between aberrant DNA methylation patterns leading to transcriptional responses that promote and progress many cancers has prompted an interest in discerning the associated regulatory mechanisms. ZBTB33 (also known as Kaiso) is a specialized transcription factor that selectively recognizes mCpG-containing sites as well as a sequence-specific DNA target (termed the KBS) utilizing three Cys2His2 zinc fingers. Increasing reports link ZBTB33 overexpression and transcriptional activities with metastatic potential and poor prognosis, though the specific cellular consequences appear to be dependent on disease phenotype. There is currently little mechanistic insight into how various cellular phenotypes are then able to harness the transcriptional capabilities of ZBTB33 to differentially promote and progress the disease state. Here we have mechanistically interrogated the cell cycle responses mediated by the transcriptional activities of ZBTB33 in two different cell lines. Utilizing a series of ZBTB33 depletion and overexpression studies, we have determined that in HeLa cells ZBTB33 directly occupies the promoter regions of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 in a KBS and methyl-specific manner, respectively, inducing increased proliferation by promoting RB1 hyper-phosphorylation, allowing for E2F transcriptional activity that coordinates an accelerated G1- to S-phase transition. Conversely, in HEK293 cells ZBTB33 indirectly regulates Cyclin E abundance resulting in reduced RB1 phosphorylation, decreased E2F activity and a decelerated transition through G1-phase. Thus, we have identified a novel mechanism by which ZBTB33 directly mediates the highly coordinated cyclin D1/cyclin E1/RB1/E2F signaling pathway controlling the passage through the G1-phase restriction point and accelerating cellular proliferation in a cancer cell line.
Project description:The emerging correlation between aberrant DNA methylation patterns leading to transcriptional responses that promote and progress many cancers has prompted an interest in discerning the associated regulatory mechanisms. ZBTB33 (also known as Kaiso) is a specialized transcription factor that selectively recognizes mCpG-containing sites as well as a sequence-specific DNA target (termed the KBS) utilizing three Cys2His2 zinc fingers. Increasing reports link ZBTB33 overexpression and transcriptional activities with metastatic potential and poor prognosis, though the specific cellular consequences appear to be dependent on disease phenotype. There is currently little mechanistic insight into how various cellular phenotypes are then able to harness the transcriptional capabilities of ZBTB33 to differentially promote and progress the disease state. Here we have mechanistically interrogated the cell cycle responses mediated by the transcriptional activities of ZBTB33 in two different cell lines. Utilizing a series of ZBTB33 depletion and overexpression studies, we have determined that in HeLa cells ZBTB33 directly occupies the promoter regions of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 in a KBS and methyl-specific manner, respectively, inducing increased proliferation by promoting RB1 hyper-phosphorylation, allowing for E2F transcriptional activity that coordinates an accelerated G1- to S-phase transition. Conversely, in HEK293 cells ZBTB33 indirectly regulates Cyclin E abundance resulting in reduced RB1 phosphorylation, decreased E2F activity and a decelerated transition through G1-phase. Thus, we have identified a novel mechanism by which ZBTB33 directly mediates the highly coordinated cyclin D1/cyclin E1/RB1/E2F signaling pathway controlling the passage through the G1-phase restriction point and accelerating cellular proliferation in a cancer cell line.
Project description:Using RNAi technology, Cyclin F, E2F7+8, or the combination of all proteins in were knocked down HeLa cells. The goal was to study which gene expression programmes are altered by cyclin F depletion in G2/M cells. Furthermore, we had performed experiments suggesting that cyclin F mediates degradation of the atypical E2F repressor proteins E2F7 and E2F8. Therefore we investigated using combinatorial knockdown if additional depletion of E2F7/8 rescues gene expression changes caused by cyclin F. Our resuilts show that cyclin F depletion downregulates expression hundreds of E2F target genes, which could be prevented by additional E2F7/8 depletion.
Project description:Hormones and growth factors accelerate cell proliferation of breast cancer cells, and these molecules are well investigated targets for drug development and application. The mechanisms of cell proliferation of breast cancers lacking estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 have not been fully understood. The purpose of the present study is to find genes that are differentially expressed in breast cancers and that might significantly contribute to cell proliferation in these cancers. Forty tumor samples, consisting of ten each of immunohistochemically ER(+)/HER2(-), ER(+)/HER2(+), ER(-)/HER2(+), and ER(-)/HER2(-) cancer were analyzed using oligonucleotide microarrays. Both genes and tumor samples were subjected to hierarchical clustering. ER(+)/HER2(-) breast cancers and ER(-)/HER2(-) cancers tended to form a tumor cluster, but HER2 positive breast cancers were split into different tumor clusters. Significant differential expression between IHC-ER(-)/HER2(-) and other tumors was defined as having an expression level at least 2-fold higher or 2-fold lower, and analyzed by multi-step two-way ANOVA. Genes overexpressed differently in IHC-ER(-)/HER2(-) breast cancers compared to other all three types were 8 genes (FABP7, GABRP, GAL, CXCL13, CDC42EP4, C2F, FOXM1, CSDA), and underexpressed genes were nine including ITGB5, KIAA0310, MAGED2, PRSS11, SORL1, TGFB3, KRT18, CPE, BCAS1. No gene was directly related to cell proliferation such as cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinase, p53, p16, and the pRb and p21 families. We had a particular focus on a transcriptional factor E2F-5 from a list of genes overexpressed in ER negative breast cancers compared to ER positive breast cancers, and further examined. Gene amplification of E2F-5 was detected in 5/57 (8.8%) in breast cancers by FISH. No point mutation was found at the binding domain with DNA or dimerization partner of E2F-5. Immunohistochemically E2F-5 positive cancers were more frequent in ER(-)/HER2(-) cancer (14/27, 51.9%) than in other types of cancer (5/30, 16.7%) (p=0.05). E2F-5 positive cancers had higher Ki-67 labeling index (59.5%) than E2F-5 negative cancers (36.3%). E2F-5 positive cancers showed higher histological grade including metaplastic carcinoma, and worse clinical outcome with shorter disease free survival in node negative patients. In conclusion, we demonstrated that there is a population of breast cancer with overexpression of a cell cycle related transcriptional factor E2F-5. E2F-5 positive breast cancers were frequent in ER(-)/HER2(-) group with high Ki-67 labeling index, high histological grade and worse clinical outcome. Keywords: immunohistochemical phenotype
Project description:Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) plays a key role in developing different types of cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect is unclear. To identify possible molecular targets of PTP1B that mediate its positive role in tumorigenesis, we undertook a SILAC-based phosphoproteomic approach, which allowed us to identify the Cyclin-dependent kinase 3 (Cdk3) as a novel PTP1B substrate. Molecular docking studies revealed stable interactions between the PTP1B catalytic domain and Cdk3. In addition, we observed that PTP1B dephosphorylates Cdk3 at Tyrosine residue 15 in vitro and interacts with it in the nucleus and cytoplasm of human glioblastoma (GB) cells. Finally, we found that the pharmacological inhibition of PTP1B or its depletion with siRNA leads to cell cycle arrest with the diminished activity of Cdk3, the consequent hypophosphorylation of Rb, and the down-regulation of E2F and its target genes Cdk1, Cyclin A, and Cyclin E1. These data delineate a novel signaling pathway from PTP1B to Cdk3 required for efficient cell cycle progression in an Rb-E2F dependent manner in human GB cells and suggest new therapeutic strategies for treating these tumors.
Project description:Inactivating mutations in SMARCA4 (BRG1), a key SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling gene, underlie small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT). To reveal its druggable vulnerabilities, we perform kinase-focused RNAi screens and uncover that SMARCA4-deficient SCCOHT cells are highly sensitive to the inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6). SMARCA4 loss causes profound downregulation of cyclin D1, which limits CDK4/6 kinase activity in SCCOHT cells and leads to in vitro and in vivo susceptibility to CDK4/6 inhibitors. SCCOHT patient tumors are deficient in cyclin D1 yet retain the retinoblastoma-proficient/p16INK4a-deficient profile associated with positive responses to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Thus, our findings indicate that CDK4/6 inhibitors, approved for a breast cancer subtype addicted to CDK4/6 activation, could be repurposed to treat SCCOHT. Moreover, our study suggests a novel paradigm whereby critically low oncogene levels, caused by loss of a driver tumor suppressor, may also be exploited therapeutically.
Project description:Inactivating mutations in SMARCA4 (BRG1), a key SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling gene, underlie small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT). To reveal its druggable vulnerabilities, we perform kinase-focused RNAi screens and uncover that SMARCA4-deficient SCCOHT cells are highly sensitive to the inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6). SMARCA4 loss causes profound downregulation of cyclin D1, which limits CDK4/6 kinase activity in SCCOHT cells and leads to in vitro and in vivo susceptibility to CDK4/6 inhibitors. SCCOHT patient tumors are deficient in cyclin D1 yet retain the retinoblastoma-proficient/p16INK4a-deficient profile associated with positive responses to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Thus, our findings indicate that CDK4/6 inhibitors, approved for a breast cancer subtype addicted to CDK4/6 activation, could be repurposed to treat SCCOHT. Moreover, our study suggests a novel paradigm whereby critically low oncogene levels, caused by loss of a driver tumor suppressor, may also be exploited therapeutically.
Project description:Chromosomal instability in early cancer stages is caused by stress on DNA replication. The molecular basis for replication perturbation in this context is currently unknown. We studied the replication dynamics in cells in which a regulator of S-phase entry and cell proliferation, the Rb-E2F pathway, is aberrantly activated. Aberrant activation of this pathway by HPV-16 E6/E7 or cyclin E oncogenes, significantly decreased the cellular nucleotide levels in the newly transformed cells. Exogenously supplied nucleosides rescued the replication stress and DNA damage, and dramatically decreased oncogene-induced transformation. Increased transcription of nucleotide biosynthesis genes, mediated by expressing the transcription factor c-Myc, increased the nucleotide pool and also rescued the replication-induced DNA damage. Our results suggest a model for early oncogenesis in which uncoordinated activation of factors regulating cell proliferation leads to insufficient nucleotides that fail to support normal replication and genome stability. In order to understand the molecular basis for the low nucleotide pool in cells enforced to proliferate by oncogene expression, we performed unbiased whole transcriptome analysis of BJ cells in comparison to BJ cells expressing cyclin E, c-Myc and cells co-expressing both oncogenes. Our results suggest that Rb-E2F aberrant activation enforces cell proliferation but fails to activate the nucleotide biosynthesis pathway leading to insufficient pool of nucleotides required for normal replication. We analyzed two sets of BJ cells infected with empty pBabe, Cyclin E, c-Myc or coexpression of Cyclin E and c-Myc