RESUMEN
RNA-binding proteins emerge as effectors of the DNA damage response (DDR). The multifunctional non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein NONO/p54nrb marks nuclear paraspeckles in unperturbed cells, but also undergoes re-localization to the nucleolus upon induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, NONO nucleolar re-localization is poorly understood. Here we show that the topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide stimulates the production of RNA polymerase II-dependent, DNA damage-inducible antisense intergenic non-coding RNA (asincRNA) in human cancer cells. Such transcripts originate from distinct nucleolar intergenic spacer regions and form DNA-RNA hybrids to tether NONO to the nucleolus in an RNA recognition motif 1 domain-dependent manner. NONO occupancy at protein-coding gene promoters is reduced by etoposide, which attenuates pre-mRNA synthesis, enhances NONO binding to pre-mRNA transcripts and is accompanied by nucleolar detention of a subset of such transcripts. The depletion or mutation of NONO interferes with detention and prolongs DSB signalling. Together, we describe a nucleolar DDR pathway that shields NONO and aberrant transcripts from DSBs to promote DNA repair.
Asunto(s)
Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , Proteínas de Unión al ADN , Humanos , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/genética , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/metabolismo , Etopósido/farmacología , Precursores del ARN/metabolismo , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismo , ADN , Proteínas de Unión al ARN/metabolismoRESUMEN
Oncoproteins of the MYC family drive the development of numerous human tumours1. In unperturbed cells, MYC proteins bind to nearly all active promoters and control transcription by RNA polymerase II2,3. MYC proteins can also coordinate transcription with DNA replication4,5 and promote the repair of transcription-associated DNA damage6, but how they exert these mechanistically diverse functions is unknown. Here we show that MYC dissociates from many of its binding sites in active promoters and forms multimeric, often sphere-like structures in response to perturbation of transcription elongation, mRNA splicing or inhibition of the proteasome. Multimerization is accompanied by a global change in the MYC interactome towards proteins involved in transcription termination and RNA processing. MYC multimers accumulate on chromatin immediately adjacent to stalled replication forks and surround FANCD2, ATR and BRCA1 proteins, which are located at stalled forks7,8. MYC multimerization is triggered in a HUWE16 and ubiquitylation-dependent manner. At active promoters, MYC multimers block antisense transcription and stabilize FANCD2 association with chromatin. This limits DNA double strand break formation during S-phase, suggesting that the multimerization of MYC enables tumour cells to proliferate under stressful conditions.
Asunto(s)
ARN Polimerasas Dirigidas por ADN , Humanos , Cromatina/genética , ARN Polimerasas Dirigidas por ADN/metabolismo , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas/genética , ARN Polimerasa II/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , Fase S , Sitios de Unión , ARN Mensajero/biosíntesisRESUMEN
Ribosomal biogenesis and protein synthesis are deregulated in most cancers, suggesting that interfering with translation machinery may hold significant therapeutic potential. Here, we show that loss of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), which constitutes the initiating event in the adenoma carcinoma sequence for colorectal cancer (CRC), induces the expression of RNA polymerase I (RNAPOL1) transcription machinery, and subsequently upregulates ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription. Targeting RNAPOL1 with a specific inhibitor, CX5461, disrupts nucleolar integrity, and induces a disbalance of ribosomal proteins. Surprisingly, CX5461-induced growth arrest is irreversible and exhibits features of senescence and terminal differentiation. Mechanistically, CX5461 promotes differentiation in an MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1 (MIZ1)- and retinoblastoma protein (Rb)-dependent manner. In addition, the inhibition of RNAPOL1 renders CRC cells vulnerable towards senolytic agents. We validated this therapeutic effect of CX5461 in murine- and patient-derived organoids, and in a xenograft mouse model. These results show that targeting ribosomal biogenesis together with targeting the consecutive, senescent phenotype using approved drugs is a new therapeutic approach, which can rapidly be transferred from bench to bedside.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Colorrectales , ARN Polimerasa I , Animales , Nucléolo Celular/metabolismo , Neoplasias Colorrectales/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Colorrectales/genética , Neoplasias Colorrectales/patología , Humanos , Ratones , ARN Polimerasa I/genética , Proteínas Ribosómicas/metabolismo , SenoterapéuticosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Despite advances in treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, carriers of certain genetic alterations are prone to failure. One such factor frequently mutated, is the tumor suppressor PTEN. These tumors are supposed to be more resistant to radiation, chemo- and immunotherapy. RESULTS: We demonstrate that loss of PTEN led to altered expression of transcriptional programs which directly regulate therapy resistance, resulting in establishment of radiation resistance. While PTEN-deficient tumor cells were not dependent on DNA-PK for IR resistance nor activated ATR during IR, they showed a significant dependence for the DNA damage kinase ATM. Pharmacologic inhibition of ATM, via KU-60019 and AZD1390 at non-toxic doses, restored and even synergized with IR in PTEN-deficient human and murine NSCLC cells as well in a multicellular organotypic ex vivo tumor model. CONCLUSION: PTEN tumors are addicted to ATM to detect and repair radiation induced DNA damage. This creates an exploitable bottleneck. At least in cellulo and ex vivo we show that low concentration of ATM inhibitor is able to synergise with IR to treat PTEN-deficient tumors in genetically well-defined IR resistant lung cancer models.
RESUMEN
Evasion from drug-induced apoptosis is a crucial mechanism of cancer treatment resistance. The proapoptotic protein NOXA marks an aggressive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) subtype. To identify drugs that unleash the death-inducing potential of NOXA, we performed an unbiased drug screening experiment. In NOXA-deficient isogenic cellular models, we identified an inhibitor of the transcription factor heterodimer CBFß/RUNX1. By genetic gain and loss of function experiments, we validated that the mode of action depends on RUNX1 and NOXA. Of note is that RUNX1 expression is significantly higher in PDACs compared to normal pancreas. We show that pharmacological RUNX1 inhibition significantly blocks tumor growth in vivo and in primary patient-derived PDAC organoids. Through genome-wide analysis, we detected that RUNX1-loss reshapes the epigenetic landscape, which gains H3K27ac enrichment at the NOXA promoter. Our study demonstrates a previously unknown mechanism of NOXA-dependent cell death, which can be triggered pharmaceutically. Therefore, our data show a way to target a therapy-resistant PDAC, an unmet clinical need.
Asunto(s)
Apoptosis/genética , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/genética , Subunidad alfa 2 del Factor de Unión al Sitio Principal/genética , Expresión Génica , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-bcl-2/genética , Mutaciones Letales Sintéticas , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patología , Subunidad alfa 2 del Factor de Unión al Sitio Principal/antagonistas & inhibidores , Humanos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patología , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Regulación hacia ArribaRESUMEN
SUMOylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that regulates these proteins' localization, turnover or function. Aberrant SUMOylation is frequently found in cancers but its origin remains elusive. Using a genome-wide transposon mutagenesis screen in a MYC-driven B-cell lymphoma model, we here identify the SUMO isopeptidase (or deconjugase) SENP6 as a tumor suppressor that links unrestricted SUMOylation to tumor development and progression. Notably, SENP6 is recurrently deleted in human lymphomas and SENP6 deficiency results in unrestricted SUMOylation. Mechanistically, SENP6 loss triggers release of DNA repair- and genome maintenance-associated protein complexes from chromatin thereby impairing DNA repair in response to DNA damages and ultimately promoting genomic instability. In line with this hypothesis, SENP6 deficiency drives synthetic lethality to Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase (PARP) inhibition. Together, our results link SENP6 loss to defective genome maintenance and reveal the potential therapeutic application of PARP inhibitors in B-cell lymphoma.
Asunto(s)
Cisteína Endopeptidasas/genética , Cisteína Endopeptidasas/metabolismo , Linfoma de Células B Grandes Difuso/genética , Linfoma de Células B Grandes Difuso/metabolismo , Mutación , Sumoilación/fisiología , Animales , Biomarcadores de Tumor , Liasas de Carbono-Nitrógeno/genética , Liasas de Carbono-Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Cromatina , Daño del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , Reparación del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , Femenino , Inestabilidad Genómica , Humanos , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Mutación/efectos de los fármacos , Inhibidores de Poli(ADP-Ribosa) Polimerasas/farmacología , Poli(ADP-Ribosa) Polimerasas/metabolismo , Procesamiento Proteico-Postraduccional , Sumoilación/efectos de los fármacos , Sumoilación/genética , Mutaciones Letales Sintéticas , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de XenoinjertoRESUMEN
The MYCN oncoprotein drives the development of numerous neuroendocrine and pediatric tumors. Here we show that MYCN interacts with the nuclear RNA exosome, a 3'-5' exoribonuclease complex, and recruits the exosome to its target genes. In the absence of the exosome, MYCN-directed elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is slow and non-productive on a large group of cell-cycle-regulated genes. During the S phase of MYCN-driven tumor cells, the exosome is required to prevent the accumulation of stalled replication forks and of double-strand breaks close to the transcription start sites. Upon depletion of the exosome, activation of ATM causes recruitment of BRCA1, which stabilizes nuclear mRNA decapping complexes, leading to MYCN-dependent transcription termination. Disruption of mRNA decapping in turn activates ATR, indicating transcription-replication conflicts. We propose that exosome recruitment by MYCN maintains productive transcription elongation during S phase and prevents transcription-replication conflicts to maintain the rapid proliferation of neuroendocrine tumor cells.
Asunto(s)
Núcleo Celular/enzimología , Proliferación Celular , Replicación del ADN , Exosomas/enzimología , Proteína Proto-Oncogénica N-Myc/metabolismo , Neuroblastoma/enzimología , ARN Polimerasa II/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética , Animales , Proteínas de la Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutada/genética , Proteínas de la Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutada/metabolismo , Proteína BRCA1/genética , Proteína BRCA1/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Núcleo Celular/genética , Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , Exorribonucleasas/genética , Exorribonucleasas/metabolismo , Exosomas/genética , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Proteína Proto-Oncogénica N-Myc/genética , Células 3T3 NIH , Neuroblastoma/genética , Neuroblastoma/patología , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Caperuzas de ARN/genética , Caperuzas de ARN/metabolismo , ARN Polimerasa II/genética , Terminación de la Transcripción GenéticaRESUMEN
SPT6 is a histone chaperone that tightly binds RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) during transcription elongation. However, its primary role in transcription is uncertain. We used targeted protein degradation to rapidly deplete SPT6 in human cells and analyzed defects in RNAPII behavior by a multi-omics approach and mathematical modeling. Our data indicate that SPT6 is a crucial factor for RNAPII processivity and is therefore required for the productive transcription of protein-coding genes. Unexpectedly, SPT6 also has a vital role in RNAPII termination, as acute depletion induced readthrough transcription for thousands of genes. Long-term depletion of SPT6 induced cryptic intragenic transcription, as observed earlier in yeast. However, this phenotype was not observed upon acute SPT6 depletion and therefore can be attributed to accumulated epigenetic perturbations in the prolonged absence of SPT6. In conclusion, targeted degradation of SPT6 allowed the temporal discrimination of its function as an epigenetic safeguard and RNAPII elongation factor.
Asunto(s)
ARN Polimerasa II/metabolismo , Elongación de la Transcripción Genética , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismo , Línea Celular , Replicación del ADN , Humanos , Ácidos Indolacéticos/farmacología , Poliadenilación , Proteolisis/efectos de los fármacos , ARN/biosíntesis , ARN Polimerasa II/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genéticaRESUMEN
Deregulated expression of the MYC oncoprotein enables tumor cells to evade immune surveillance, but the mechanisms underlying this surveillance are poorly understood. We show here that endogenous MYC protects pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) driven by KRASG12D and TP53R172H from eradication by the immune system. Deletion of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) bypassed the requirement for high MYC expression. TBK1 was active due to the accumulation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which was derived from inverted repetitive elements localized in introns of nuclear genes. Nuclear-derived dsRNA is packaged into extracellular vesicles and subsequently recognized by toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) to activate TBK1 and downstream MHC class I expression in an autocrine or paracrine manner before being degraded in lysosomes. MYC suppressed loading of dsRNA onto TLR3 and its subsequent degradation via association with MIZ1. Collectively, these findings suggest that MYC and MIZ1 suppress a surveillance pathway that signals perturbances in mRNA processing to the immune system, which facilitates immune evasion in PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies a TBK1-dependent pathway that links dsRNA metabolism to antitumor immunity and shows that suppression of TBK1 is a critical function of MYC in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Asunto(s)
Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/metabolismo , Evasión Inmune , Factores de Transcripción de Tipo Kruppel/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/metabolismo , ARN Bicatenario , Adenocarcinoma/inmunología , Animales , Transporte Biológico , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/inmunología , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Eliminación de Gen , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Sistema Inmunológico , Intrones , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Endogámicos NOD , Ratones Desnudos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/inmunología , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Proteína p53 Supresora de Tumor/metabolismoRESUMEN
Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women. Despite the development of novel therapeutic interventions, the 5-year survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains low, demonstrating the necessity for novel treatments. One strategy to improve translational research is the development of surrogate models reflecting somatic mutations identified in lung cancer patients as these impact treatment responses. With the advent of CRISPR-mediated genome editing, gene deletion as well as site-directed integration of point mutations enabled us to model human malignancies in more detail than ever before. Here, we report that by using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeting of Trp53 and KRas, we recapitulated the classic murine NSCLC model Trp53 fl/fl :lsl-KRas G12D/wt . Developing tumors were indistinguishable from Trp53 fl/fl :lsl-KRas G12D/ wt -derived tumors with regard to morphology, marker expression, and transcriptional profiles. We demonstrate the applicability of CRISPR for tumor modeling in vivo and ameliorating the need to use conventional genetically engineered mouse models. Furthermore, tumor onset was not only achieved in constitutive Cas9 expression but also in wild-type animals via infection of lung epithelial cells with two discrete AAVs encoding different parts of the CRISPR machinery. While conventional mouse models require extensive husbandry to integrate new genetic features allowing for gene targeting, basic molecular methods suffice to inflict the desired genetic alterations in vivo. Utilizing the CRISPR toolbox, in vivo cancer research and modeling is rapidly evolving and enables researchers to swiftly develop new, clinically relevant surrogate models for translational research.
RESUMEN
The MYC oncoprotein globally affects the function of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). The ability of MYC to promote transcription elongation depends on its ubiquitylation. Here, we show that MYC and PAF1c (polymerase II-associated factor 1 complex) interact directly and mutually enhance each other's association with active promoters. PAF1c is rapidly transferred from MYC onto RNAPII. This transfer is driven by the HUWE1 ubiquitin ligase and is required for MYC-dependent transcription elongation. MYC and HUWE1 promote histone H2B ubiquitylation, which alters chromatin structure both for transcription elongation and double-strand break repair. Consistently, MYC suppresses double-strand break accumulation in active genes in a strictly PAF1c-dependent manner. Depletion of PAF1c causes transcription-dependent accumulation of double-strand breaks, despite widespread repair-associated DNA synthesis. Our data show that the transfer of PAF1c from MYC onto RNAPII efficiently couples transcription elongation with double-strand break repair to maintain the genomic integrity of MYC-driven tumor cells.
Asunto(s)
Roturas del ADN de Doble Cadena , Reparación del ADN , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/metabolismo , Elongación de la Transcripción Genética , ATPasas Asociadas con Actividades Celulares Diversas/genética , ATPasas Asociadas con Actividades Celulares Diversas/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Histonas/genética , Histonas/metabolismo , Humanos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/genética , ARN Polimerasa II/genética , ARN Polimerasa II/metabolismo , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/genética , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , UbiquitinaciónRESUMEN
The transcription factor NRF2 is the major mediator of oxidative stress responses and is closely connected to therapy resistance in tumors harboring activating mutations in the NRF2 pathway. In melanoma, such mutations are rare, and it is unclear to what extent melanomas rely on NRF2. Here we show that NRF2 suppresses the activity of the melanocyte lineage marker MITF in melanoma, thereby reducing the expression of pigmentation markers. Intriguingly, we furthermore identified NRF2 as key regulator of immune-modulating genes, linking oxidative stress with the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) in an ATF4-dependent manner. COX2 is critical for the secretion of prostaglandin E2 and was strongly induced by H2O2 or TNFα only in presence of NRF2. Induction of MITF and depletion of COX2 and PGE2 were also observed in NRF2-deleted melanoma cells in vivo. Furthermore, genes corresponding to the innate immune response such as RSAD2 and IFIH1 were strongly elevated in absence of NRF2 and coincided with immune evasion parameters in human melanoma datasets. Even in vitro, NRF2 activation or prostaglandin E2 supplementation blunted the induction of the innate immune response in melanoma cells. Transcriptome analyses from lung adenocarcinomas indicate that the observed link between NRF2 and the innate immune response is not restricted to melanoma.
Asunto(s)
Ciclooxigenasa 2/metabolismo , Melanoma/patología , Factor 2 Relacionado con NF-E2/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Factor de Transcripción Activador 4/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/genética , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/inmunología , Adenocarcinoma del Pulmón/patología , Animales , Diferenciación Celular/genética , Línea Celular Tumoral , Conjuntos de Datos como Asunto , Dinoprostona/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/inmunología , Técnicas de Silenciamiento del Gen , Técnicas de Inactivación de Genes , Humanos , Inmunidad Innata/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/inmunología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Masculino , Melanoma/genética , Melanoma/inmunología , Ratones , Factor de Transcripción Asociado a Microftalmía/metabolismo , Factor 2 Relacionado con NF-E2/genética , Neoplasias Cutáneas/genética , Neoplasias Cutáneas/inmunología , Escape del Tumor/genéticaRESUMEN
The mitotic kinase AURORA-A is essential for cell cycle progression and is considered a priority cancer target. Although the catalytic activity of AURORA-A is essential for its mitotic function, recent reports indicate an additional non-catalytic function, which is difficult to target by conventional small molecules. We therefore developed a series of chemical degraders (PROTACs) by connecting a clinical kinase inhibitor of AURORA-A to E3 ligase-binding molecules (for example, thalidomide). One degrader induced rapid, durable and highly specific degradation of AURORA-A. In addition, we found that the degrader complex was stabilized by cooperative binding between AURORA-A and CEREBLON. Degrader-mediated AURORA-A depletion caused an S-phase defect, which is not the cell cycle effect observed upon kinase inhibition, supporting an important non-catalytic function of AURORA-A during DNA replication. AURORA-A degradation induced rampant apoptosis in cancer cell lines and thus represents a versatile starting point for developing new therapeutics to counter AURORA-A function in cancer.
Asunto(s)
Antineoplásicos/química , Aurora Quinasa A/antagonistas & inhibidores , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/química , Proteolisis/efectos de los fármacos , Talidomida/química , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , Proteínas Adaptadoras Transductoras de Señales/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Aurora Quinasa A/genética , Benzazepinas/química , Dominio Catalítico , Ciclo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Replicación del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , Diseño de Fármacos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Terapia Molecular Dirigida , Polietilenglicoles/química , Unión Proteica , Conformación ProteicaRESUMEN
Obligate intracellular bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis undergo a complex developmental cycle between infectious, non-replicative elementary-body and non-infectious, replicative reticulate-body forms. Elementary bodies transform to reticulate bodies shortly after entering a host cell, a crucial process in infection, initiating chlamydial replication. As Chlamydia fail to replicate outside the host cell, it is unknown how the replicative part of the developmental cycle is initiated. Here we show, using a cell-free approach in axenic media, that the uptake of glutamine by the bacteria is crucial for peptidoglycan synthesis, which has a role in Chlamydia replication. The increased requirement for glutamine in infected cells is satisfied by reprogramming the glutamine metabolism in a c-Myc-dependent manner. Glutamine is effectively taken up by the glutamine transporter SLC1A5 and metabolized via glutaminase. Interference with this metabolic reprogramming limits the growth of Chlamydia. Intriguingly, Chlamydia failed to produce progeny in SLC1A5-knockout organoids and mice. Thus, we report on the central role of glutamine for the development of an obligate intracellular pathogenic bacterium and the reprogramming of host glutamine metabolism, which may provide a basis for innovative anti-infection strategies.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por Chlamydia/metabolismo , Chlamydia trachomatis/fisiología , Glutamina/metabolismo , Peptidoglicano/biosíntesis , Sistema de Transporte de Aminoácidos ASC/genética , Sistema de Transporte de Aminoácidos ASC/metabolismo , Animales , Línea Celular , Infecciones por Chlamydia/microbiología , Chlamydia trachomatis/crecimiento & desarrollo , Chlamydia trachomatis/metabolismo , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Interacciones Huésped-Patógeno , Humanos , Ratones , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidad Menor/genética , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidad Menor/metabolismo , Quinasas de Proteína Quinasa Activadas por Mitógenos/metabolismo , Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/metabolismo , Transducción de SeñalRESUMEN
Oncoproteins of the MYC family are major drivers of human tumorigenesis. Since a large body of evidence indicates that MYC proteins are transcription factors, studying their function has focused on the biology of their target genes. Detailed studies of MYC-dependent changes in RNA levels have provided contrasting models of the oncogenic activity of MYC proteins through either enhancing or repressing the expression of specific target genes, or as global amplifiers of transcription. In this Review, we first summarize the biochemistry of MYC proteins and what is known (or is unclear) about the MYC target genes. We then discuss recent progress in defining the interactomes of MYC and MYCN and how this information affects central concepts of MYC biology, focusing on mechanisms by which MYC proteins modulate transcription. MYC proteins promote transcription termination upon stalling of RNA polymerase II, and we propose that this mechanism enhances the stress resilience of basal transcription. Furthermore, MYC proteins coordinate transcription elongation with DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Finally, we argue that the mechanism by which MYC proteins regulate the transcription machinery is likely to promote tumorigenesis independently of global or relative changes in the expression of their target genes.
Asunto(s)
Proteína Proto-Oncogénica N-Myc/genética , Neoplasias/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/genética , Transcripción Genética , Carcinogénesis/genética , Ciclo Celular/genética , Proliferación Celular/genética , Replicación del ADN/genética , Humanos , Proteínas Oncogénicas/genética , Factores de TranscripciónRESUMEN
Deregulated expression of MYC induces a dependence on the NUAK1 kinase, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this dependence have not been fully clarified. Here, we show that NUAK1 is a predominantly nuclear protein that associates with a network of nuclear protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interactors and that PNUTS, a nuclear regulatory subunit of PP1, is phosphorylated by NUAK1. Both NUAK1 and PNUTS associate with the splicing machinery. Inhibition of NUAK1 abolishes chromatin association of PNUTS, reduces spliceosome activity, and suppresses nascent RNA synthesis. Activation of MYC does not bypass the requirement for NUAK1 for spliceosome activity but significantly attenuates transcription inhibition. Consequently, NUAK1 inhibition in MYC-transformed cells induces global accumulation of RNAPII both at the pause site and at the first exon-intron boundary but does not increase mRNA synthesis. We suggest that NUAK1 inhibition in the presence of deregulated MYC traps non-productive RNAPII because of the absence of correctly assembled spliceosomes.
Asunto(s)
Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Cromatina/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteína Fosfatasa 1/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/metabolismo , Proteínas Represoras/metabolismo , Empalmosomas/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética , Animales , Núcleo Celular/genética , Cromatina/genética , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Células HeLa , Humanos , Ratones , Células 3T3 NIH , Fosforilación , Proteínas Quinasas/genética , Proteína Fosfatasa 1/genética , Proteína Fosfatasa 1/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/genética , ARN Polimerasa II/genética , ARN Polimerasa II/metabolismo , Empalme del ARN , Proteínas Represoras/genética , Empalmosomas/genéticaRESUMEN
Tumours depend on altered rates of protein synthesis for growth and survival, which suggests that mechanisms controlling mRNA translation may be exploitable for therapy. Here, we show that loss of APC, which occurs almost universally in colorectal tumours, strongly enhances the dependence on the translation initiation factor eIF2B5. Depletion of eIF2B5 induces an integrated stress response and enhances translation of MYC via an internal ribosomal entry site. This perturbs cellular amino acid and nucleotide pools, strains energy resources and causes MYC-dependent apoptosis. eIF2B5 limits MYC expression and prevents apoptosis in APC-deficient murine and patient-derived organoids and in APC-deficient murine intestinal epithelia in vivo. Conversely, the high MYC levels present in APC-deficient cells induce phosphorylation of eIF2α via the kinases GCN2 and PKR. Pharmacological inhibition of GCN2 phenocopies eIF2B5 depletion and has therapeutic efficacy in tumour organoids, which demonstrates that a negative MYC-eIF2α feedback loop constitutes a targetable vulnerability of colorectal tumours.