Project description:Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed in patients with IDH1 or IDH2 mutations. Here we describe 4 cases where mutant IDH isoform switching serves as a mechanism of acquired clinical resistance to mutant IDH inhibition.
Project description:ATR is a PI3K-like kinase protein, regulating checkpoint responses to DNA damage and replication stress. Apart from its checkpoint function in the nucleus, ATR actively engage in antiapoptotic role at mitochondria following DNA damage. The different functions of ATR in the nucleus and cytoplasm are carried out by two prolyl isomeric forms of ATR: trans- and cis-ATR, respectively. The isomerization occurs at the Pin1 Ser428-Pro429 motif of ATR. Here we investigated the structural basis of the subcellular location-specific functions of human ATR. Using a mass spectrometry-based footprinting approach, the surface accessibility of ATR lysine residues to sulfo-NHS-LC-biotin modification was monitored and compared between the cis and the trans-isomers. We have identified two biotin-modified lysine residues, K459 and K469, within the BH3-like domain of cis-ATR that were not accessible in trans-ATR, indicating a conformational change around the BH3 domain between cis- and trans-ATR. The conformational alteration also involved the N-terminal domain and the middle HEAT domain. Moreover, experimental results from an array of complementary assays show that cis-ATR with the accessible BH3 domain was able to bind to tBid while trans-ATR could not. In addition, both cis- and trans-ATR can directly form homodimers via their C-terminal domains without ATRIP, while nuclear (trans-ATR) in the presence of ATRIP forms dimer-dimer complexes involving both N- and C-termini of ATR and ATRIP after UV. Structural characteristics around the Ser428-Pro429 motif and the BH3 domain region are also analyzed by molecular modelling and dynamics simulation. In support, cis conformation was found to be significantly more energetically favourable than trans at Ser428-Pro429 bond in a 20-aa wild-type ATR peptide. Taken together, our results suggest that the isomerization-induced structural changes of ATR define both its subcellular location and compartment-specific functions and plays an essential role in promoting cell survival and DNA damage responses.
Project description:Variation in gene expression arises from cis- and trans-regulatory mutations, which contribute differentially to expression divergence. Here, we compare the impacts on gene expression and fitness for cis- and trans-regulatory mutations affecting expression of the TDH3 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We use the effects of cis-regulatory mutations to isolate effects of trans-regulatory mutations caused by impacts on TDH3 from pleiotropic impacts on other genes, providing a rare distribution of pleiotropic effects. These pleiotropic effects were often, but not always, deleterious. For cis- and trans-regulatory mutations with similar effects on TDH3, trans-regulatory mutations had more widespread effects on gene expression, with distinct impacts on expression of genes downstream of TDH3. These differences between cis-and trans-regulatory mutations help explain their different contributions to regulatory evolution.
Project description:Allosteric inhibitors of mutant IDH1 or IDH2 induce terminal differentiation in mutant leukemic blasts and may provide durable clinical responses in approximately 40% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with the mutations. However, most responders eventually relapse. To understand the molecular underpinnings of clinical resistance, we performed multipronged genomic analyses (DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing and cytosine methylation profiling) in longitudinally collected specimens from 68 IDH1/IDH2-mutant AML patients treated with IDH inhibitors (IDHi), and described the evolution of AML genome and epigenome during the therapy and its association with clinical response and relapse. Co-occurrence of mutations in RUNX1/CEBPA or RAS-RTK pathway genes were associated with poor response to IDHi. The same group of mutations were also frequently selected or acquired at relapse. In addition, acquired mutations in BCOR, reciprocal IDH gene, and TET2 were also implicated at relapse. DNA methylation changes largely mirrored plasma 2HG dynamics and had little association with clinical response to IDHi. The mapping of mutation dynamics and methylation changes in longitudinal samples revealed the interplay between AML genome and epigenome with IDHi therapy. While the alteration in RAS-RTK signaling genes and RUNX1/CEBPA were the key molecular pathways involved in clinical resistance to IDHi, diverse molecular pathways were involved in IDHi resistance. The data highlights the role of clonal heterogeneity in therapeutic resistance in AML and implicates opportunities for novel combination strategies.
Project description:Allosteric inhibitors of mutant IDH1 or IDH2 induce terminal differentiation in mutant leukemic blasts and may provide durable clinical responses in approximately 40% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with the mutations. However, most responders eventually relapse. To understand the molecular underpinnings of clinical resistance, we performed multipronged genomic analyses (DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing and cytosine methylation profiling) in longitudinally collected specimens from 68 IDH1/IDH2-mutant AML patients treated with IDH inhibitors (IDHi), and described the evolution of AML genome and epigenome during the therapy and its association with clinical response and relapse. Co-occurrence of mutations in RUNX1/CEBPA or RAS-RTK pathway genes were associated with poor response to IDHi. The same group of mutations were also frequently selected or acquired at relapse. In addition, acquired mutations in BCOR, reciprocal IDH gene, and TET2 were also implicated at relapse. DNA methylation changes largely mirrored plasma 2HG dynamics and had little association with clinical response to IDHi. The mapping of mutation dynamics and methylation changes in longitudinal samples revealed the interplay between AML genome and epigenome with IDHi therapy. While the alteration in RAS-RTK signaling genes and RUNX1/CEBPA were the key molecular pathways involved in clinical resistance to IDHi, diverse molecular pathways were involved in IDHi resistance. The data highlights the role of clonal heterogeneity in therapeutic resistance in AML and implicates opportunities for novel combination strategies.
Project description:Gene expression evolution can be caused by changes in cis- or trans-regulatory elements or both. As cis and trans regulation operate through different molecular mechanisms, cis and trans mutations may show different inheritance patterns and may be subjected to different selective constraints. To investigate these issues, we obtained and analyzed gene expression data from two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and their hybrid, using high-throughput sequencing. Our data indicate that compared to other types of genes, those with antagonistic cis-trans interactions are more likely to exhibit over- or under-dominant inheritance of expression level. Moreover, in accordance with previous studies, genes with trans variants tend to have a dominant inheritance pattern while cis variants are enriched for additive inheritance. In addition, cis regulatory differences contribute more to expression differences between species than within species, whereas trans regulatory differences show a stronger association between divergence and polymorphism. Our data indicate that in the trans component of gene expression differences genes subjected to weaker selective constraints tend to have an excess of polymorphism over divergence compared to those subjected to stronger selective constraints. In contrast, in the cis component, this difference between genes under stronger and weaker selective constraint is mostly absent. To explain these observations, we propose that purifying selection more strongly shapes trans polymorphism than cis polymorphism. Study the gene expression patterns in two strains of yeast (BY and RM)
Project description:In an effort to understand the mechanisms of acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors, we isolated clones that acquired resistance to the BRAF inhibitor GSK2118436 derived from the A375 BRAF V600E mutant melanoma cell line. This resistance clones acquired mutations in NRAS and MEK1. One clones, 16R6-4, acquired two mutations in NRAS – Q61K and A146T. Proliferation and western blot analyses demonstrated that these clones were insensitive to single agent GSK2118436 or GSK1120212 (an allosteric MEK inhibitor) but were sensitive to the combination of GSK2118436 and GSK1120212. To further characterize this combination, global transcriptomic analysis was performed in A375 and 16R6-4 after 24 hour treatment with GSK2118436, GSK1120212 or the combination of GSK2118436 and GSK1120212. This data set was published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics with the title “Combined inhibition of BRAF and MEK, BRAF and PI3K/mTOR, or MEK and PI3K/mTOR overcomes acquired resistance to the BRAF inhibitor GSK2118436, mediated by NRAS or MEK mutations” by Greger, J.G., et.al. A375 and 16R6-4 (an A375 derived GSK2118436 resistance clone) were treated for 24 hours with 0.1 micromolar GSK2118436, 1 micromolar GSK2118436, 0.01 micromolar GSK1120212, 0.1 micromolar GSK2118436 + 0.01 micromolar GSK1120212, or 1 micromolar GSK2118436 + 0.01 micromolar GSK1120212.
Project description:Belvarafenib, a potent and selective RAF dimer (type II) inhibitor, exhibits clinical activity in BRAFV600E- and NRAS-mutant melanoma patients. Here, we report the first-in-human phase I study investigating maximum tolerated dose, assessing safety and preliminary efficacy of belvarafenib in BRAF- and RAS-mutated advanced solid tumors (NCT02405065, NCT03118817). Through generation of belvarafenib resistant NRAS- mutant melanoma cells and analysis of circulating tumor DNA from patients treated with belvarafenib, we identified novel recurrent mutations in ARAF within the kinase domain. ARAF mutants conferred resistance to belvarafenib in both a dimer- and kinase activity- dependent manner. Belvarafenib induced ARAF mutant dimers, and dimers containing mutant ARAF were active in the presence of inhibitor. ARAF mutations may serve as a general resistance mechanism for RAF dimer inhibitors as the mutants exhibit reduced sensitivity to a panel of type II RAF inhibitors. The combination of RAF plus MEK inhibition may be used to delay ARAF-driven resistance and suggests a rational combination for clinical use. Taken together, our findings reveal specific and compensatory functions for the ARAF isoform and implicate ARAF mutations as a driver of resistance to RAF dimer inhibitors.
Project description:Gliomas are immunologically cold tumors that can be broken into several categories based on either RNA expression profiles or methylation profiles, with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations defining a major segregration between types. IDH mutant gliomas often exhibit defects in the retinoic acid pathway. We treated mice harboring IDH mutant gliomas with all-trans retinoic acid, and found that this treatment cause reductions in tumor growth and a swith in immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment.
Project description:Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes occur in various malignant tumors including chondrosarcoma. IDH mutations contribute to malignant transformation by catalyzing the production of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), a competitive inhibitor of α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases. Mutant IDH inhibitors are therefore potential novel anticancer drugs in IDH mutant tumors. Here, we examined the efficacy of the inhibition of mutant IDH1 as an antitumor approach in chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo, and investigated the association between the IDH mutation and chondrosarcoma cells.