Project description:Purpose: study the role of MALT1 auto-proteolysis in T cell receptor mediated activation of NF-kB. Methods: Jurkat cells were generated that express wild type MALT1, the auto-cleavage deficient MALT1-R149A mutant, the catalytic inactive MALT1-C464A mutant or the R149A-C464A double mutant (RACA). Expression of endogenous MALT1 was inactivated using TALEN technology for the Jurkat cells expressing MALT1-R149A (JDM-RA) and MALT1-C464A (JDM-CA). Illumina HISeq 2000 deep sequencing was performed to determine the mRNA profiles for MALT1, JDM-RA, JDM-CA and RACA cells in unstimulated conditions or after treatment with 75ng/ml PMA and 150 ng/ml ionomycin for 3 or 18 hrs. Results: PMA ionomycin stimulation of the MALT1 auto-cleavage defective JDM-RA cells fails to activate NF-kB-dependent transcription like for the MALT1 catalytic inactive JDM-CA cells and the double RACA mutant cells. Conclusion: MALT1 autoproteolysis is essential for transcription of NF-kB target genes
Project description:MALT1 protease inhibition is effective in several preclinical models of autoimmunity and B cell malignancies. However, severe reduction in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and an associated IPEX-like pathology was observed in mice with congenital deficiency of MALT1. Rats treated with MLT-943, a novel potent and selective MALT1 inhibitor showed a rapid and dose-dependent reduction in Tregs and resulted in the progressive appearance of immune abnormalities and clinical signs of an IPEX-like pathology, including severe intestinal inflammation associated with mast cell activation, high serum IgE levels, systemic T cell activation and mononuclear cell infiltration in multiple tissues. Gene expression profiling of rat jejunum was performed to understand the molecular events related to the aforementioned morphological changes. MLT-943 induced a dose-dependent up-regulation of a mast cell, cytotoxic T cells and interferon signatures in rat jejunum. Of note, T cells and IFNγ were described as major drivers of the pathology occurring in MALT1 protease dead animals.
Project description:The MALT1 paracaspase plays an essential role in Activated B-cell like Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (ABC DLBCL) downstream of B-cell and Toll-like receptor pathway genes mutated in these tumors. Although MALT1 is considered to be a compelling therapeutic target, development of tractable and specific MALT1 protease inhibitors has thus far been elusive. Herein, we developed a target engagement assay that provides a quantitative readout for specific MALT1 inhibitory effects in living cells. This enabled a structure-guided medicinal chemistry effort culminating in a novel class of substrate-mimetic compounds that bind MALT1 active site and, constitute the first pharmacologically tractable irreversible MALT1 inhibitor. We confirmed MALT1 targeting is effective at suppressing ABC DLBCL cells in vitro and in vivo. We show that reduction in serum IL10 levels exquisitely correlates with drug PK and degree of MALT1 inhibition in vitro and in vivo and constitutes a useful pharmacodynamic biomarker to evaluate these compounds in clinical trials. Our new inhibitor revealed insights into the biology of MALT1 in ABC DLBCL, such as driving JAK-STAT signaling and suppressing type I interferon (IFN) response and MHC class II expression, suggesting that MALT1 inhibition could prime lymphomas for immune recognition by cytotoxic immune cells.
Project description:To reveal the downstream paracrine signals from WT-Matl1 or PD-Malt1 tumor cells which responsible for the above observed macrophage phenotypes, we collected mRNA samples from Vector control-, WT-Malt1-, PD-Malt1-, V87R-Malt1-, or L88D-Malt1-expressing E0771 cancer cells, and performed RNA-seq analysis.
Project description:A key element for the development of suitable anti-cancer drugs is the identification of cancer-specific enzymatic activities that can be therapeutically targeted. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue transformation protein 1 (MALT1) is a proto-oncogene that contributes to tumorigenesis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype, the least curable subtype of DLBCL. Recent data suggest that MALT1 has proteolytic activity, but it is unknown whether this activity is relevant for tumor growth. Here we report that MALT1 is constitutively active in DLBCL lines of the ABC but not the GCB subtype. Inhibition of the MALT1 proteolytic activity led to reduced expression of growth factors and apoptosis inhibitors, and specifically affected the growth and survival of ABC DLBCL lines. These results demonstrate a key role for the proteolytic activity of MALT1 in DLBCL of the ABC subtype, and provide a rationale for the development of pharmacological inhibitors of MALT1 in DLBCL therapy. HBL-1 cells (n=8) were treated with IkB kinase beta inhibitor MLN120B (25 micromolar; Calbiochem) for 2h, 3h, 4h, 6h, 8h, 12h, 16h, and 24h (Cy5) and their gene expression compared to vehicle-treated cells (DMSO, Cy3). HBL-1 cells (n=4) and OCI-Ly3 cells (n=4) were treated with MALT1 inhibitor z-VRPR-fmk (50 micromolar; Alexis Biochemicals) for 6h, 12h, 24h, and 30h (Cy5) and their gene expression compared to vehicle-treated cells (DMSO, Cy3).
Project description:The protease activity of the paracaspase MALT1 plays an important role in antigen receptor-mediated lymphocyte activation by controlling the activity of the transcription factor NF-kB and is thus essential for the expression of inflammatory target genes. MALT1 is not only present in cells of the hematopoietic lineage, but is ubiquitously expressed. Here we report that Zymosan or S. aureus stimulation induced MALT1 protease activity in human primary keratinocytes. Human primary keratinocytes were treated for 8 h with solvent control (DMSO), PMA/Ionomycin (P/I) or P/I with MALT1-inhibitor LVSR-fmk. Three biological replicates of each stimualtion were analyzed for gene expression profiles.
Project description:To invesitigate the additional paracaspase-independent tumor-promoting effect exist for Malt1. We thus collected E0771-Vector control tumor tissue, E0771 wildtype Malt1 (Malt1-WT) overexpression tumor tissue and E0771 paracaspase-deficient Malt1 (Malt1-PD) overexpression tumor tissue, and sorted out immune cells for 10× Genomics single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq).
Project description:We used TMT-TAILS to monitor MALT1 substrate cleavage in normal EBV B lymphocytes stimulated with PMA/ionomycin to evaluate kinetic profiles of MALT1 inhibitors
Project description:The medicinal active phenothiazine mepazine acts as a small molecule inhibitor of the MALT1 protease. Mepazine selectively inhibits cleavage activity of recombinant and cellular MALT1 by a noncompetitive mechanism. MALT1 activity is required for NF-kappaB signaling and survival of aggressive lymphoma belonging to the ABC-DLBCL (activated B-cell-type of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) entity. Gene expression profiling was carried out in the ABC-DLBCL cell line HBL1 after treatment with mepazine (20 microM) for 6, 12, and 24 hr. Mepazine inhibits anti-apoptotic NF-kB signaling and thereby survival of these cells. Using Agilent 2-color gene expression microarrays (GPL10332) mepazine-treated HBL1 cells were compared with DMSO in the control channels.