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The RhoJ-BAD Signaling Network: An Achilles Heel for BRAF Mutant Melanomas

ABSTRACT: Genes and pathways that allow cells to cope with oncogene-induced stress represent selective cancer therapeutic targets that remain largely undiscovered. In this study, we identify a RhoJ signaling pathway that is a selective therapeutic target for BRAF mutant cells. RhoJ deletion in BRAF mutant melanocytes modulates the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD as well as genes involved in cellular metabolism, impairing nevus formation, cellular transformation, and metastasis. Short-term treatment of nascent melanoma tumors with PAK inhibitors that block RhoJ signaling halts the growth of BRAF mutant melanoma tumors in vivo and induces apoptosis in melanoma cells in vitro via a BAD-dependent mechanism. As up to 50% of BRAF mutant human melanomas express high levels of RhoJ, these studies nominate the RhoJ-BAD signaling network as a therapeutic vulnerability for fledgling BRAF mutant human tumors.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE101859 | GEO | 2017/07/26

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA395724

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Melanocytes within benign human nevi are the paradigm for tumor suppressive senescent cells in a pre-malignant neoplasm. These cells typically contain mutations in either the BRAF or N-RAS oncogene and express markers of senescence, including p16. However, a nevus can contain 10s to 100s of thousands of clonal melanocytes and approximately 20-30% of melanoma are thought to arise in association with a pre-existing nevus. Neither observation is indicative of fail-safe senescence-associated proliferation arrest and tumor suppression. We set out to better understand the status of nevus melanocytes. Proliferation-promoting Wnt target genes, such as cyclin D1 and c-myc, were repressed in oncogene-induced senescent melanocytes in vitro, and repression of Wnt signaling in these cells induced a senescent-like state. In contrast, cyclin D1 and c-myc were expressed in many melanocytes of human benign nevi. Specifically, activated Wnt signalling in nevi correlated inversely with nevus maturation, an established dermatopathological correlate of clinical benignancy. Single cell analyses of lone epidermal melanocytes and nevus melanocytes showed that expression of proliferation-promoting Wnt targets correlates with prior proliferative expansion of p16-expressing nevus melanocytes. In a mouse model, activation of Wnt signaling delayed, but did not bypass, senescence of oncogene-expressing melanocytes, leading to massive accumulation of proliferation-arrested, p16-positive non-malignant melanocytes. We conclude that clonal hyperproliferation of oncogene-expressing melanocytes to form a nevus is facilitated by transient delay of senescence due to activated Wnt signaling. The observation that activation of Wnt signaling correlates inversely with nevus maturation, an indicator of clinical benignancy, supports the notion that persistent destabilization of senescence by Wnt signaling contributes to the malignant potential of nevi. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression after lentiviral infection of BRAF in 3 replicates. Primary human melanocytes were infected/uninfected with lentivirus containing either an Empty Vector or activated BRAFV600E mutant in three biological replicates

Project description:Melanocytes within benign human nevi are the paradigm for tumor suppressive senescent cells in a pre-malignant neoplasm. These cells typically contain mutations in either the BRAF or N-RAS oncogene and express markers of senescence, including p16. However, a nevus can contain 10s to 100s of thousands of clonal melanocytes and approximately 20-30% of melanoma are thought to arise in association with a pre-existing nevus. Neither observation is indicative of fail-safe senescence-associated proliferation arrest and tumor suppression. We set out to better understand the status of nevus melanocytes. Proliferation-promoting Wnt target genes, such as cyclin D1 and c-myc, were repressed in oncogene-induced senescent melanocytes in vitro, and repression of Wnt signaling in these cells induced a senescent-like state. In contrast, cyclin D1 and c-myc were expressed in many melanocytes of human benign nevi. Specifically, activated Wnt signalling in nevi correlated inversely with nevus maturation, an established dermatopathological correlate of clinical benignancy. Single cell analyses of lone epidermal melanocytes and nevus melanocytes showed that expression of proliferation-promoting Wnt targets correlates with prior proliferative expansion of p16-expressing nevus melanocytes. In a mouse model, activation of Wnt signaling delayed, but did not bypass, senescence of oncogene-expressing melanocytes, leading to massive accumulation of proliferation-arrested, p16-positive non-malignant melanocytes. We conclude that clonal hyperproliferation of oncogene-expressing melanocytes to form a nevus is facilitated by transient delay of senescence due to activated Wnt signaling. The observation that activation of Wnt signaling correlates inversely with nevus maturation, an indicator of clinical benignancy, supports the notion that persistent destabilization of senescence by Wnt signaling contributes to the malignant potential of nevi. We used RNA-Seq to detail the global programme of gene expression in human melanoma cell lines

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The RhoJ-BAD Signaling Network: An Achilles Heel for BRAF Mutant Melanomas

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