Project description:Advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) frequently acquire resistance to Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors through unknown mechanisms, providing a unique opportunity to study human tumor evolution. Here, we identify SMO mutations in 50% (22/44) of resistant BCCs compared with 5.6% (2/36) of untreated BCCs (p<0.0001), and show that these mutations maintain Hedgehog signaling in the presence of SMO inhibitors. Alterations include four ligand binding pocket (LBP) mutations that define sites of inhibitor binding and four variants that confer constitutive activity and inhibitor resistance, thus defining pivotal residues of SMO that ensure receptor autoinhibition. Finally, we show that both classes of SMO variants respond to the aPKC-ι/λ inhibitor PSI and GLI2 antagonist ATO that operate downstream of SMO
Project description:Advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) frequently acquire resistance to Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors through unknown mechanisms, providing a unique opportunity to study human tumor evolution. Here, we identify SMO mutations in 50% (22/44) of resistant BCCs compared with 5.6% (2/36) of untreated BCCs (p<0.0001), and show that these mutations maintain Hedgehog signaling in the presence of SMO inhibitors. Alterations include four ligand binding pocket (LBP) mutations that define sites of inhibitor binding and four variants that confer constitutive activity and inhibitor resistance, thus defining pivotal residues of SMO that ensure receptor autoinhibition. Finally, we show that both classes of SMO variants respond to the aPKC-ι/λ inhibitor PSI and GLI2 antagonist ATO that operate downstream of SMO
Project description:Advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) frequently acquire resistance to Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors through unknown mechanisms, providing a unique opportunity to study human tumor evolution. Here, we identify SMO mutations in 50% (22/44) of resistant BCCs compared with 5.6% (2/36) of untreated BCCs (p<0.0001), and show that these mutations maintain Hedgehog signaling in the presence of SMO inhibitors. Alterations include four ligand binding pocket (LBP) mutations that define sites of inhibitor binding and four variants that confer constitutive activity and inhibitor resistance, thus defining pivotal residues of SMO that ensure receptor autoinhibition. Finally, we show that both classes of SMO variants respond to the aPKC-ι/λ inhibitor PSI and GLI2 antagonist ATO that operate downstream of SMO.
Project description:Advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) frequently acquire resistance to Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors through unknown mechanisms. Here we identify SMO mutations in 50% (22 of 44) of resistant BCCs and show that these mutations maintain Hedgehog signaling in the presence of SMO inhibitors. Alterations include four ligand binding pocket mutations defining sites of inhibitor binding and four variants conferring constitutive activity and inhibitor resistance, illuminating pivotal residues that ensure receptor autoinhibition. In the presence of a SMO inhibitor, tumor cells containing either class of SMO mutants effectively outcompete cells containing the wild-type SMO. Finally, we show that both classes of SMO variants respond to aPKC-ι/λ or GLI2 inhibitors that operate downstream of SMO, setting the stage for the clinical use of GLI antagonists.
Project description:Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and a subset of medulloblastomas are characterized by loss-of-function mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, PTCH1. PTCH1 normally functions by repressing the activity of the Smoothened (SMO) receptor. Inactivating PTCH1 mutations result in constitutive Hedgehog pathway activity through uncontrolled SMO signaling. Targeting this pathway with vismodegib, a novel SMO inhibitor, results in impressive tumor regression in patients harboring genetic defects in this pathway. However, a secondary mutation in SMO has been reported in medulloblastoma patients following relapse on vismodegib to date. This mutation preserves pathway activity, but appears to confer resistance by interfering with drug binding. Here we report for the first time on the molecular mechanisms of resistance to vismodegib in two BCC cases. The first case, showing progression after 2 months of continuous vismodegib (primary resistance), exhibited the new SMO G497W mutation. The second case, showing a complete clinical response after 5 months of treatment and a subsequent progression after 11 months on vismodegib (secondary resistance), exhibited a PTCH1 nonsense mutation in both the pre- and the post-treatment specimens, and the SMO D473Y mutation in the post-treatment specimens only. In silico analysis demonstrated that SMO(G497W) undergoes a conformational rearrangement resulting in a partial obstruction of the protein drug entry site, whereas the SMO D473Y mutation induces a direct effect on the binding site geometry leading to a total disruption of a stabilizing hydrogen bond network. Thus, the G497W and D473Y SMO mutations may represent two different mechanisms leading to primary and secondary resistance to vismodegib, respectively.
Project description:Greater height and higher intelligence test scores are predictors of better health outcomes. Here, we used molecular (single-nucleotide polymorphism) data to estimate the genetic correlation between height and general intelligence (g) in 6,815 unrelated subjects (median age 57, IQR 49-63) from the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study cohort. The phenotypic correlation between height and g was 0.16 (SE 0.01). The genetic correlation between height and g was 0.28 (SE 0.09) with a bivariate heritability estimate of 0.71. Understanding the molecular basis of the correlation between height and intelligence may help explain any shared role in determining health outcomes. This study identified a modest genetic correlation between height and intelligence with the majority of the phenotypic correlation being explained by shared genetic influences.