Kinase-independent role for CRAF-driving tumour radioresistance via CHK2.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Advani SJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4559870 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:RAF kinases regulate cell proliferation and survival and can be dysregulated in tumors. The role of RAF in cell proliferation has been linked to its ability to activate mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (ERK). Here we identify a MEK-independent role for RAF in tumor growth. Specifically, in mitotic cells, CRAF becomes phosphorylated on Ser338 and localizes to the mitotic spindle of proliferating tumor cells in vitro as well as in murine tumor models and in biopsies from individuals with cancer. Treatment of tumors with allosteric inhibitors, but not ATP-competitive RAF inhibitors, prevents CRAF phosphorylation on Ser338 and localization to the mitotic spindle and causes cell-cycle arrest at prometaphase. Furthermore, we identify phospho-Ser338 CRAF as a potential biomarker for tumor progression and a surrogate marker for allosteric RAF blockade. Mechanistically, CRAF, but not BRAF, associates with Aurora kinase A (Aurora-A) and Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) at the centrosomes and spindle poles during G2/M. Indeed, allosteric or genetic inhibition of phospho-Ser338 CRAF impairs Plk1 activation and accumulation at the kinetochores, causing prometaphase arrest, whereas a phospho-mimetic Ser338D CRAF mutant potentiates Plk1 activation, mitosis and tumor progression in mice. These findings show a previously undefined role for RAF in tumor progression beyond the RAF-MEK-ERK paradigm, opening new avenues for targeting RAF in cancer.
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Project description:Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2) kinase is a key mediator in many cellular responses to genotoxic stresses, including ionizing radiation (IR) and topoisomerase inhibitors. Upon IR, CHK2 is activated by ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase and regulates the S-phase and G1-S checkpoints, apoptosis and DNA repair by phosphorylating downstream target proteins, such as p53 and Brca1. In addition, CHK2 is thought to be a multi-organ cancer susceptibility gene. In this study, we used a tandem affinity purification strategy to identify proteins that interact with CHK2 kinase. Cyclin-dependent kinase 11 (CDK11)(p110) kinase, implicated in pre-mRNA splicing and transcription, was identified as a CHK2-interacting protein. CHK2 kinase phosphorylated CDK11(p110) on serine 737 in vitro. Unexpectedly, CHK2 kinase constitutively phosphorylated CDK11(p110) in a DNA damage-independent manner. At a molecular level, CDK11(p110) phosphorylation was required for homodimerization without affecting its kinase activity. Overexpression of CHK2 promoted pre-mRNA splicing. Conversely, CHK2 depletion decreased endogenous splicing activity. Mutation of the phosphorylation site in CDK11(p110) to alanine abrogated its splicing-activating activity. These results provide the first evidence that CHK2 kinase promotes pre-mRNA splicing via phosphorylating CDK11(p110).
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Project description:14-3-3σ has been implicated in the development of chemo and radiation resistance and in poor prognosis of multiple human cancers. While it has been postulated that 14-3-3σ contributes to these resistances via inhibiting apoptosis and arresting cells in G2-M phase of the cell cycle, the molecular basis of this regulation is currently unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that 14-3-3σ causes resistance to DNA-damaging treatments by enhancing DNA repair in cells arrested in G2-M phase following DNA-damaging treatments. We showed that 14-3-3σ contributed to ionizing radiation (IR) resistance by arresting cancer cells in G2-M phase following IR and by increasing non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of the IR-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB). The increased NHEJ repair activity was due to 14-3-3σ-mediated upregulation of PARP1 expression that promoted the recruitment of DNA-PKcs to the DNA damage sites for repair of DSBs. On the other hand, the increased G2-M arrest following IR was due to 14-3-3σ-induced Chk2 expression.Implications: These findings reveal an important molecular basis of 14-3-3σ function in cancer cell resistance to chemo/radiation therapy and in poor prognosis of human cancers. Mol Cancer Res; 15(4); 418-28. ©2017 AACR.
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Project description:Although the linkage of Chk1 and Chk2 to important cancer signalling suggests that these kinases have functions as tumour suppressors, neither Chk1+/- nor Chk2-/- mice show a predisposition to cancer under unperturbed conditions. We show here that Chk1+/-Chk2-/- and Chk1+/-Chk2+/- mice have a progressive cancer-prone phenotype. Deletion of a single Chk1 allele compromises G2/M checkpoint function that is not further affected by Chk2 depletion, whereas Chk1 and Chk2 cooperatively affect G1/S and intra-S phase checkpoints. Either or both of the kinases are required for DNA repair depending on the type of DNA damage. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts from the double-mutant mice showed a higher level of p53 with spontaneous DNA damage under unperturbed conditions, but failed to phosphorylate p53 at S23 and further induce p53 expression upon additional DNA damage. Neither Chk1 nor Chk2 is apparently essential for p53- or Rb-dependent oncogene-induced senescence. Our results suggest that the double Chk mutation leads to a high level of spontaneous DNA damage, but fails to eliminate cells with damaged DNA, which may ultimately increase cancer susceptibility independently of senescence.
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Project description:Advances in functional imaging are supporting neurosurgery and radiotherapy for glioblastoma, which still remains the most aggressive brain tumor with poor prognosis. The typical infiltration pattern of glioblastoma, which impedes a complete surgical resection, is coupled with a high rate of invasiveness and radioresistance, thus further limiting efficient therapy, leading to inevitable and fatal recurrences. Hypoxia is of crucial importance in gliomagenesis and, besides reducing radiotherapy efficacy, also induces cellular and molecular mediators that foster proliferation and invasion. In this review, we aimed at analyzing the biological mechanism of glioblastoma invasiveness and radioresistance in hypoxic niches of glioblastoma. We also discussed the link between hypoxia and radiation-induced radioresistance with activation of SRC proto-oncogene non-receptor tyrosine kinase, prospecting potential strategies to overcome the current limitation in glioblastoma treatment.
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Project description:Raf kinases are downstream effectors of small GTPase Ras. Mutations in Ras and Raf are associated with a variety of cancers and genetic disorders. Of the three Raf isoforms, cRaf is most frequently involved in tumor initiation by Ras. Cytosolic Raf is auto-inhibited and becomes active upon recruitment to the plasma membrane. Since the catalytic domain of Raf is its kinase domain, we ask the following: does the kinase domain of Raf has potential to interact with membrane and if yes, what role does the membrane interaction play? We present a model of cRaf kinase domain in complex with a heterogeneous membrane bilayer using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. We show that the kinase domain of cRaf has three distinct membrane-interacting regions: a polybasic motif (R.RKTR) from the regulatory ?C-helix, an aromatic/hydrophobic cluster from the N-terminal acidic region (NtA) and positively charged/aromatic cluster from the activation segment (AS). We show that residues from these regions form an extended membrane-interacting surface that resembles the membrane-interacting residues from known membrane-binding domains. Activating phosphorylatable regions (NtA and AS), make direct contact with the membrane whereas R.RKTR forms specific multivalent salt bridges with PA. PA lipids dwell for longer times around the R.RKTR motif. Our results suggest that membrane interaction of monomeric cRaf kinase domain likely orchestrates the Raf activation process and modulates its function. We show that R.RKTR is a hotspot that interacts with membrane when cRaf is monomeric and becomes part of the interface upon Raf dimerization. We propose that in terms of utilizing a specific hotspot to form membrane interaction and dimer formation, both Raf and its upstream binding partner KRas, are similar.
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Project description:BackgroundRadiotherapy resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Hypoxia is a critical cause of radioresistance. However, the communication between hypoxic cells and aerobic cells via exosomes during the transfer of radiation resistance remains unclear.MethodsExo-miR-340-5p levels were analysed by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR. We co-cultured OSCC cells with isolated normoxic and hypoxic exosomes to study their impact on radiosensitivity. We used a specific exo-miR-340-5p mimic and knock-down retrovirus to explore the role of this miRNA in the transfer of radioresistance from hypoxic to normoxic cells. Dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays were used to verify KLF10 as a putative target of miR-340-5p. Several in vitro assays were conducted and xenograft models were established to investigate the effect of exo-miR-340-5p on OSCC radiosensitivity. The plasma exo-miR-340-5p levels in OSCC patients were analysed to study the clinical value of this parameter.ResultsHypoxic exosomes alleviated radiation-induced apoptosis and accelerated DNA damage repair. miR-340-5p was highly expressed in hypoxic exosomes and was transferred into normoxic cells, where it induced radioresistance. Overexpression of miR-340-5p in normoxic OSCC cells mimicked the radioresistance of cells co-cultured with hypoxic exosomes. Knockdown of miR-340-5p in hypoxic exosomes reversed the radioresistance effect, indicating that exo-miR-340-5p is critical for hypoxic EV-transferred radioresistance. KLF10 was identified as the direct target of miR-340-5p. Moreover, metformin was found to increase the expression of KLF10 and enhance the radiosensitivity of OSCC. Higher levels of miR-340-5p in the plasma exosomes from OSCC patients are related to a poorer radiotherapy response and prognosis.ConclusionsHypoxic tumour cell-derived exosomal miR-340-5p confers radioresistance in OSCC by targeting KLF10/UVRAG, suggesting that miR-340-5p could be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the enhancement of radiosensitivity in OSCC. Metformin can increase KLF10 expression, which ameliorates the radioresistance induced by exo-miR-340-5p transfer. Therefore, metformin could be further investigated as a therapeutic option for the treatment of OSCC.
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