Project description:Hormone therapy targeting estrogen receptor (ER) is the principal treatment for ER-positive breast cancers but many cancers develop resistance to anti-estrogens. Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) is a transcriptional regulator of several oncogenic pathways. Expression levels of CDK8 and ERα are inversely correlated in breast cancers suggesting a functional association between CDK8 and ER. CDK8 inhibition by selective small-molecule inhibitors, by shRNA knockdown or by CRISPR-Cas9 knockout suppressed estrogen-induced transcription, with no significant effects on ERα protein expression or phosphorylation. CDK8 inhibition also abrogated the mitogenic effect of estrogen on ER-positive breast cancer cells and potentiated growth inhibition by the ER antagonist fulvestrant. In vivo, administration of a CDK8 inhibitor suppressed ER-positive breast cancer xenograft growth and augmented the effects of fulvestrant with no apparent toxicity. CDK8 inhibitors also suppressed the development of estrogen independence in ER-positive breast cancer cells. These results identify CDK8 as a novel drug target for breast cancer therapy.
Project description:CDK8 Mediator kinase is amplified and overexpressed in colon cancers; elevated CDK8 expression is associated with shorter patient survival. Nevertheless, CDK8 kinase inhibitors do not generally suppress colon cancer growth. We addressed this paradox by investigating the effects of CDK8 knockdown or a CDK8 kinase inhibitor on tumor growth at primary and metastatic sites. CDK8 knockdown or inhibition had no significant effect on primary tumors but suppressed the growth of hepatic metastases in murine and human colon cancer models. The effect of CDK8 inhibition on liver metastasis is mediated by upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor TIMP3 and downregulation of several MMPs.
Project description:CDK8 Mediator kinase is amplified and overexpressed in colon cancers; elevated CDK8 expression is associated with shorter patient survival. Nevertheless, CDK8 kinase inhibitors do not generally suppress colon cancer growth. We addressed this paradox by investigating the effects of CDK8 knockdown or a CDK8 kinase inhibitor on tumor growth at primary and metastatic sites. CDK8 knockdown or inhibition had no significant effect on primary tumors but suppressed the growth of hepatic metastases in murine and human colon cancer models. The effect of CDK8 inhibition on liver metastasis is mediated by upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor TIMP3 and downregulation of several MMPs.
Project description:The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) is a dissociable part of the coactivator complex Mediator that regulates RNA polymerase II (Pol II transcription. The CKM has negative and positive functions in gene transcription that remain poorly understood at the mechanistic level. Here, we prepare recombinant CKM from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and show that it binds core Mediator (cMed) to sterically inhibit cMed binding to the Pol II preinitiation complex (PIC) in vitro. We further show that the Cdk8 kinase activity of CKM counteracts CKM-cMed interaction,thereby releasing CKM and enabling Mediator to bind the PIC. Finally, we report that the kinase activity of Cdk8 is required for gene activation during heat shock in vivo, but not under steady state growth conditions. These results converge with previous literature on a model for CKM function. In this model, CKM negatively regulates Mediator function at upstream activating sequences by preventing Mediator binding to the PIC at the promoter. During gene activation, Cdk8 kinase activity may release Mediator and allow its binding to the PIC, thereby stimulating transcription initiation and accounting for the positive function of CKM.
Project description:The Mediator complex allows communication between transcription factors and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). CDK8, the kinase found in some variants of Mediator, has been characterized mostly as a transcriptional repressor. Recently, CDK8 was demonstrated to be a potent oncoprotein. Here we show that CDK8 is predominantly a positive regulator of gene expression within the serum response network, as it is required for expression of several members of the AP-1 and EGR family of oncogenic transcription factors (e.g. FOS, JUN, EGR1-3). Mechanistic studies demonstrate that CDK8 is not required for recruitment of RNAPII and promoter escape at these loci. Instead, CDK8 depletion leads to the appearance of slower elongation complexes carrying hypophosphorylated RNAPII. We show that CDK8-Mediator regulates precise steps in the assembly of a functional elongation complex, including the recruitment of P-TEFb and BRD4, but is dispensable for recruitment of SPT5 and FACT. Furthermore, CDK8-Mediator specifically interacts with P-TEFb. Thus, we uncovered a novel role for CDK8 in transcriptional regulation that may contribute to its oncogenic effects. We used microarrays to analyze the expression of immediate early genes in response to serum in cells with and without the Mediator associated kinase, CDK8.
Project description:Cyclin Dependent Kinases CDK8 and CDK19 (Mediator kinase) are regulatory components of the Mediator complex, a highly conserved complex that fine tunes transcriptional output. While Mediator kinase has been implicated in the transcriptional control of key pathways necessary for development and growth, its function in vivo has not been well described. Herein, we report the consequences of complete ablation of both Cdk8/19 on tissue homeostasis. We show that intestinal epithelial specific deletion of Mediator kinase leads to a distinct defect in secretory progenitor differentiation with broad loss of the intestinal secretory cell types. Using a phospho-proteogenomic approach, we show that the Cdk8/19 kinase module interacts with and phosphorylates components of the chromatin remodeling complex Swi/Snf in intestinal epithelial cells. Genomic localisation of Swi/Snf and Mediator shows Cdk8/19-dependent genomic binding at distinct super-enhancer loci within key lineage specification genes, including the master regulator of secretory differentiation ATOH1. Using CRISPRi/CRISPRa, we identify a distinct Mediator- Swi/Snf bound enhancer element that is necessary and sufficient for ATOH1 expression in a Mediator-kinase dependent manner. As such, these studies uncover a newly described transcriptional mechanism of ATOH1-dependent intestinal cell specification that is dependent on the coordinated interaction of the chromatin remodeling complex Swi/Snf and Mediator complex.
Project description:Cyclin Dependent Kinases CDK8 and CDK19 (Mediator kinase) are regulatory components of the Mediator complex, a highly conserved complex that fine tunes transcriptional output. While Mediator kinase has been implicated in the transcriptional control of key pathways necessary for development and growth, its function in vivo has not been well described. Herein, we report the consequences of complete ablation of both Cdk8/19 on tissue homeostasis. We show that intestinal epithelial specific deletion of Mediator kinase leads to a distinct defect in secretory progenitor differentiation with broad loss of the intestinal secretory cell types. Using a phospho-proteogenomic approach, we show that the Cdk8/19 kinase module interacts with and phosphorylates components of the chromatin remodeling complex Swi/Snf in intestinal epithelial cells. Genomic localisation of Swi/Snf and Mediator shows Cdk8/19-dependent genomic binding at distinct super-enhancer loci within key lineage specification genes, including the master regulator of secretory differentiation ATOH1. Using CRISPRi/CRISPRa, we identify a distinct Mediator-Swi/Snf bound enhancer element that is necessary and sufficient for ATOH1 expression in a Mediator-kinase dependent manner. As such, these studies uncover a newly described transcriptional mechanism of ATOH1-dependent intestinal cell specification that is dependent on the coordinated interaction of the chromatin remodeling complex Swi/Snf and Mediator complex.
Project description:Cortistatin A (CA) is a highly selective inhibitor of the Mediator kinases CDK8 and CDK19. Using CA, we report here the first large-scale identification of Mediator kinase substrates in human cells (HCT116). Among over 16,000 quantified phosphosites, we identified 78 high-confidence Mediator kinase targets within 64 proteins, including DNA-binding transcription factors and proteins associated with chromatin, DNA repair, and RNA polymerase II. Although RNA-Seq data correlated with Mediator kinase targets, CA effects on gene expression were limited and distinct from CDK8 or CDK19 knockdown. Quantitative proteome analyses, which tracked about 7,000 proteins across six time points (0 â?? 24h), revealed that CA selectively affected pathways implicated in inflammation, growth, and metabolic regulation; contrary to expectations, increased turnover of Mediator kinase targets was not generally observed. Collectively, these data support Mediator kinases as regulators of chromatin and RNA polymerase II activity and suggest cellular roles beyond transcription, including metabolism and DNA repair. HCT116 cells were treated with either 100nM CA or DMSO in biological triplicate for each population (6 samples total). Treatment was for 24h for compound and vehicle.