Dataset Information

Identification and characterization of two novel oncogenic mTOR mutations.

ABSTRACT: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is often aberrantly activated, particularly when genetically altered, in human cancers. mTOR inhibitors targeting the activated mTOR signaling are highly promising anti-cancer drugs. Knowing the activating genetic change in mTOR can help guide the use of mTOR inhibitors for cancer treatment. This study was conducted to identify and characterize novel oncogenic mTOR mutations that can potentially be therapeutic targets in human cancer. We sequenced 30 exons of the mTOR gene in 12 thyroid cancer cell lines, 3 melanoma cell lines, 20 anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) tumors, and 23 melanoma tumors and functionally characterized the identified novel mTOR mutations in vitro and in vivo. We identified a novel point mutation A1256G in ATC cell line and G7076A in melanoma tumor in exon 9 and exon 51 of the mTOR gene, respectively. Over-expression of the corresponding mTOR mutants H419R and G2359E created through induced mutagenesis showed markedly elevated protein kinase activities associated with the activation of mTOR/p70S6K signaling in HEK293T cells. Stable expression of the two mTOR mutants in NIH3T3 cells strongly activated the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway and induced morphologic transformation, cell focus formation, anchorage-independent cell growth, and invasion. Inoculation of these mutant-expressing cells in athymic nude mice induced rapid tumor development, showing their driving oncogenicity. We also demonstrated that transfection with the novel mutants conferred cells high sensitivities to the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus. We speculate that human cancers harboring these mTOR mutations, such as ATC and melanoma, may be effectively treated with inhibitors targeting mTOR.

SUBMITTER: Murugan AK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6597304 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Identification and characterization of two novel oncogenic mTOR mutations.

Murugan Avaniyapuram Kannan AK Liu Rengyun R Xing Mingzhao M

Oncogene 20190327 26

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is often aberrantly activated, particularly when genetically altered, in human cancers. mTOR inhibitors targeting the activated mTOR signaling are highly promising anti-cancer drugs. Knowing the activating genetic change in mTOR can help guide the use of mTOR inhibitors for cancer treatment. This study was conducted to identify and characterize novel oncogenic mTOR mutations that can potentially be therapeutic targets in human cancer. We sequenced 3 ...[more]

PMID: 30918329

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundAntithrombin (AT) is the main physiological anticoagulant involved in hemostasis. Hereditary AT deficiency is a rare autosomal dominant thrombotic disease mainly caused by mutations in SERPINC1, which was usually manifested as venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. In this study, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and screened for mutant genes in two pedigrees with hereditary AT deficiency, and the functional effects of the pathogenic mutations were evaluated.MethodsCandidate gene variants were analyzed by next-generation sequencing to screen pathogenic mutations in probands, followed by segregation analysis in families by Sanger sequencing. Mutant and wild-type plasmids were constructed and transfected into HEK293T cells to observe protein expression and cellular localization of SERPINC1. The structure and function of the mutations were analyzed by bioinformatic analyses.ResultsThe proband of pedigree A with AT deficiency carried a heterozygous frameshift mutation c.1377delC (p.Asn460Thrfs*20) in SERPINC1 (NM000488.3), a 1377C base deletion in exon 7 resulting in a backward shift of the open reading frame, with termination after translation of 20 residues, and a different residue sequence translated after the frameshift. Bioinformatics analysis suggests that the missing amino acid sequence caused by the frameshift mutation might disrupt the disulfide bond between Cys279 and Cys462 and affect the structural function of the protein. This newly discovered variant is not currently included in the ClinVar and HGMD databases. p.Arg229* resulted in a premature stop codon in exon 4, and bioinformatics analysis suggests that the truncated protein structure lost its domain of interaction with factor IX (Ala414 site) after the deletion of nonsense mutations. However, considering the AT truncation protein resulting from the p.Arg229* variant loss a great proportion of the molecule, we speculate the variant may affect two functional domains HBS and RCL and lack of the corresponding function. The thrombophilia and decreased-AT-activity phenotypes of the two pedigrees were separated from their genetic variants. After lentiviral plasmid transfection into HEK293T cells, the expression level of AT protein decreased in the constructed c.1377delC mutant cells compared to that in the wild-type, which was not only reduced in c.685C > T mutant cells but also showed a significant band at 35 kDa, suggesting a truncated protein. Immunofluorescence localization showed no significant differences in protein localization before and after the mutation.ConclusionsThe p.Asn460Thrfs*20 and p.Arg229* variants of SERPINC1 were responsible for the two hereditary AT deficiency pedigrees, which led to AT deficiency by different mechanisms. The p.Asn460Thrfs*20 variant is reported for the first time.

Project description:The outcome for children with high-grade gliomas (HGG) remains dismal, with a two-year survival rate of only 10-30%. Approximately half of pediatric HGGs are diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brainstem tumor that arises almost exclusively in children. Genome-wide analyses of copy number imbalances previously showed that platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) is the most frequent target of focal amplification in pediatric HGGs. To determine whether the PDGFRA is also targeted by more subtle mutations not detected by copy number analysis, we sequenced all PDGFRA coding exons from a cohort of pediatric HGGs. Somatic activating mutations were identified in 14.4% (13/90) of non-brainstem pediatric HGGs and 4.7% (2/43) of DIPGs, including missense mutations and in-frame deletions and insertions not previously described. 40% of tumors with mutation showed concurrent amplification, while 60% carried heterozygous mutations. Six different mutations impacting different domains all resulted in ligand-independent receptor activation that was blocked by small molecule inhibitors of PDGFR. Expression of mutants in p53-null primary mouse astrocytes conferred a proliferative advantage in vitro, and generated HGGs in vivo with complete penetrance when implanted into brain. The gene expression signatures reflected the spectrum of human diffuse HGGs. PDGFRA intragenic deletion of exons 8 and 9 were previously shown in adult HGG, but were not detected in 83 non-brainstem pediatric HGG and 57 DIPGs. Thus, a distinct spectrum of mutations confers constitutive receptor activation and oncogenic activity to PDGFR in childhood HGG. To better understand the consequence of PDGFRα mutation in pediatric gliomagenesis, retroviral constructs expressing wild-type PDGFRα or six selected PDGFRα mutants that affect different regions of the receptor were generated for functional studies. p53-null primary mouse astrocyte (PMA) cultures were chosen as a relevant cellular background to assess PDGFRα function.

Dataset Information

Identification and characterization of two novel oncogenic mTOR mutations.

Publications

Identification and characterization of two novel oncogenic mTOR mutations.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets