Project description:To investigate the role of USP28 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer isogenic HG3 cell lines harboring a monoallelic USP28 loss. We then analyzed the transcriptomic profile of these CRISPR/Cas9-generated cell lines by RNA-seq
Project description:Fbw7, the substrate recognition subunit of SCF(Fbw7) ubiquitin ligase, mediates turnover of multiple proto-oncoproteins and promotes its own degradation. Fbw7-mediated substrate degradation is antagonized by the Usp28 deubiquitinase. We now show, using knockout mice, that Usp28 preferentially deubiquitinates and stabilizes Fbw7. Monoallelic deletion of Usp28 maintains stable Fbw7 but destabilizes Fbw7 substrates. In contrast, complete knockout of Usp28 promotes Pin1-dependent autocatalytic turnover of Fbw7, accumulation of Fbw7 substrates and oncogenic transformation. Overexpression of Usp28 stabilizes both Fbw7 and its substrates and similarly enhances transformation. We propose that dual regulation of Fbw7 activity by Usp28 maintains physiological levels of Fbw7 substrates, and that both loss and overexpression of Usp28 in human cancer promote Fbw7 substrate accumulation. RNAseq experiments of E13.5 murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from animals in which Usp28 was either deleted (-/-), wildtype (+/+) or heterozygous (+/-). In a first set of experiments immortalized MEFs of all three genotypes were analysed in biological triplicates. In a second set of experiments immortalized and Ras transformed MEFs of all three genotypes and MEFs which overexpress USP28 (+/+/+) where sequenced in duplicates.
Project description:Fbw7, the substrate recognition subunit of SCF(Fbw7) ubiquitin ligase, mediates turnover of multiple proto-oncoproteins and promotes its own degradation. Fbw7-mediated substrate degradation is antagonized by the Usp28 deubiquitinase. We now show, using knockout mice, that Usp28 preferentially deubiquitinates and stabilizes Fbw7. Monoallelic deletion of Usp28 maintains stable Fbw7 but destabilizes Fbw7 substrates. In contrast, complete knockout of Usp28 promotes Pin1-dependent autocatalytic turnover of Fbw7, accumulation of Fbw7 substrates and oncogenic transformation. Overexpression of Usp28 stabilizes both Fbw7 and its substrates and similarly enhances transformation. We propose that dual regulation of Fbw7 activity by Usp28 maintains physiological levels of Fbw7 substrates, and that both loss and overexpression of Usp28 in human cancer promote Fbw7 substrate accumulation.
Project description:Aberrant active NOTCH1 signaling is a key pathogenic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), detectable in half of patients and associated with disease progression. While some cases of active NOTCH1 signaling can be explained by mutations in NOTCH1 or its regulators, like FBXW7, alternative mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we identified the deubiquitinase USP28 as regulator of NOTCH1 signaling in CLL. Notably, USP28 is located within the frequently deleted chr11q23 region and is deleted in 90% of del(11q) patients, resulting in its decreased expression. USP28 interacts with the NOTCH1 intracellular domain (NICD) independently of FBXW7 and the NICD-PEST domain, stabilizing NICD and enhancing NOTCH1 signaling. Integrating RBPJ-occupied genes in HG3 cells, RNA-Seq of USP28WT/KO cells and gene expression from del(11q) CLL patients, we identified 15 NOTCH1 target genes specifically dysregulated by USP28 and del(11q) potentially influencing CLL pathogenesis. Pharmacological inhibition of USP28 with the small molecule AZ1 suppressed NOTCH1 activation in primary CLL cells. AZ1 combined with the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax reduced CLL cell viability, particularly in samples with high NOTCH1 activity. Our findings highlight USP28 as promising therapeutic target and provide a rationale for combined inhibition of USP28 and BCL-2 in CLL patients with active NOTCH1 signaling.
Project description:Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a considerable global health burden, with an incidence of over 600,000 cases per year. Treatment options are limited, and patient 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. The ubiquitin specific protease 28 (USP28) has been implicated in tumorigenesis through its stabilization of the oncoprotein c-MYC. Here, we show that genetic inactivation of USP28 induced regression of established murine LSCC lung tumors. We developed small molecule USP28 inhibitors that inhibit USP28 activity in the low nanomole range. While displaying considerable activity against the closest homologue USP25, these inhibitors showed a high degree of selectivity over other deubiquitinases. USP28 inhibitor treatment resulted in a dramatic decrease in c-Myc proteins levels and consequently induced substantial regression of autochthonous murine LSCC tumors and human LSCC xenografts, thereby phenocopying the effect observed by genetic deletion. Thus, USP28 may represent a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of squamous cell lung carcinoma.
Project description:Usp28-KO HLF cell lines were generated by CRISPR-Cas9. Usp28-KO cells expressing Usp28-WT, Usp28-Mono or a control vector were established by lentiviral transduction.
Project description:SREBP2 controls the expression of enzymes involved in the mevalonate pathway (MVP), a biosynthetic process that drives the synthesis of dolichol, heme A, ubiquinone and cholesterol but also provides substrates for protein prenylation, and that is frequently deregulated in cancer. We show here that SREBP2 is a novel substrate for the deubiquitinating enzyme USP28 and that USP28 regulates SREBP2 stability independent of FBXW7. Inhibition of USP28 reduces MVP activity and renders cancer cells highly sensitive to MVP inhibition by statins. Moreover, statin sensitivity of USP28 depleted cells was rescued by the addition of geranyl-geranyl-pyrophosphate, a substrate for protein prenylation. We also provide evidence that SREBP2 participates in the regulation of gene expression signature associated with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and that SREBP2 and enzymes of the MVP are overexpressed in SCC from different tissue origins. Finally, deletion of SREBP2 attenuated tumour growth in a mouse model of lung cancer. Our findings suggest that SREBP2 is a novel substrate for USP28 and that combinatorial targeting of the MVP together with USP28 inhibition could be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas.
Project description:The majority of diabetics are susceptible to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, while conventional drug therapy cannot correct diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) progression. Herein, we assessed the potential role and therapeutic value of ubiquitin-specific protease 28 (USP28) on the metabolic vulnerability of DCM. PPARα-/- in the db/db background mice were constructed to check the mechanism of USP28 in vivo. Inducible cardiac-specific deletion of Mfn2 in the db/db background mice was utilized to evaluate USP28-mediated cardioprotection. chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed that PPARα promote mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) transcription, thereby impeding mitochondrial morphofunctional defects.
Project description:The RNA splicing factor SF3B1 is recurrently mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but its functional role in the pathogenesis of this disease has not been firmly established. Here, we show that conditional expression of heterozygous Sf3b1-K700E mutation in mouse B lineage cells disrupts pre-mRNA splicing, alters B-cell development and function, and induces a state of cellular senescence. B-cell restricted expression of this mutation combined with Atm deletion led to the overcoming of cellular senescence, together with enhanced genome instability and the development of clonal B220+CD5+ CLL cells in elderly mice at low penetrance. Mice with CLL-like disease were found to have amplifications of chromosomes 15 and 17. Integrated transcriptome and proteome analysis of the CLL-like cells revealed coordinated dysregulation of multiple CLL-associated cellular processes. This included an unexpected signature of deregulated B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, which we could also identify in SF3B1-mutated CLL samples from two independent patient cohorts. Notably, human CLLs harboring SF3B1 mutations exhibited greater sensitivity and altered response kinetics to BTK kinase ibrutinib. Our genetically faithful murine model of CLL thus reveals fresh insights regarding the impact of SF3B1 mutation on CLL pathogenesis and suggests a system for identifying vulnerabilities related to this mutation that can be further exploited for the treatment of CLLs with this common mutation.
Project description:PARP inhibitor (PARPi) resistance presents a significant challenge in ovarian cancer treatment, necessitating the development of effective therapeutic strategies to overcome this resistance and improve patient outcomes. Our study demonstrated that elevated expression of SRY-box 9 (SOX9) contributes to olaparib resistance in ovarian cancer. Mechanistically, the deubiquitinating enzyme USP28 was identified as a novel interacting partner of SOX9. USP28 inhibited the ubiquitination and subsequent lysosomal degradation of SOX9, which is mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW7 during olaparib treatment. ChIP-Seq analysis revealed that SOX9 binds to the promoters of key DNA damage response (DDR) genes (SMARCA4, UIMC1, and SLX4), thereby regulating DDR processes in ovarian cancer. Additionally, USP28 promoted olaparib resistance by stabilizing SOX9 protein and enhancing DNA damage repair. Furthermore, the USP28 specific inhibitor AZ1 reduced SOX9 protein stability and increased the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to olaparib. In conclusion, targeted inhibition of USP28 promoted ubiquitination-mediated degradation of SOX9, thereby impairing DNA damage repair capabilities and sensitizing ovarian cancer cells to PARPi. These findings elucidate the underlying mechanisms of PARPi resistance in ovarian cancer and suggest the potential efficacy of combining USP28 inhibitors with PARPi to overcome this resistance.