RESUMEN
Rationale: Metastasis is a complex process with a molecular underpinning that remains unclear. We hypothesize that cargo proteins conducted by extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from tumors may confer growth and metastasis potential on recipient cells. Here, we report that a cytokine-like secreted protein, FAM3C, contributes to late-stage lung tumor progression. Methods: EV protein profiling was conducted with an unbiased proteomic mass spectrometry analysis on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and normal lung fibroblast cell lines. Expression of FAM3C was confirmed in a panel of NSCLC cell lines, and correlated to the invasive and metastatic potentials. Functional phenotype of endogenous FAM3C and tumor-derived EVs (TDEs) were further investigated using various biological approaches in RNA and protein levels. Metastasis potential of TDEs secreted by FAM3C-overexpressing carcinoma cells was validated in mouse models. Results: Transcriptomic meta-analysis of pan-cancer datasets confirmed the overexpression of FAM3C - a gene encoding for interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI) - in NSCLC tumors, with strong association with poor patient prognosis and cancer metastasis. Aberrant expression of FAM3C in lung carcinoma cells enhances cellular transformation and promotes distant lung tumor colonization. In addition, higher FAM3C concentrations were detected in EVs extracted from plasma samples of NSCLC patients compared to those of healthy subjects. More importantly, we defined a hitherto-unknown mode of microenvironmental crosstalk involving FAM3C in EVs, whereby the delivery and uptake of FAM3C via TDEs enhances oncogenic signaling - in recipient cells that phenocopies the cell-endogenous overexpression of FAM3C. The oncogenicity transduced by FAM3C is executed via a novel interaction with the Ras-related protein RalA, triggering the downstream activation of the Src/Stat3 signaling cascade. Conclusions: Our study describes a novel mechanism for FAM3C-driven carcinogenesis and shed light on EV FAM3C as a driver for metastatic lung tumors that could be exploited for cancer therapeutics.
Asunto(s)
Carcinogénesis , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas , Vesículas Extracelulares , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Animales , Humanos , Ratones , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/metabolismo , Carcinoma de Pulmón de Células no Pequeñas/secundario , Línea Celular Tumoral , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , ProteómicaRESUMEN
Gain of function (GOF) DNA binding domain (DBD) mutations of TP53 upregulate chromatin regulatory genes that promote genome-wide histone methylation and acetylation. Here, we therapeutically exploit the oncogenic GOF mechanisms of p53 codon 158 (Arg158) mutation, a DBD mutant found to be prevalent in lung carcinomas. Using high throughput compound screening and combination analyses, we uncover that acetylating mutp53R158G could render cancers susceptible to cisplatin-induced DNA stress. Acetylation of mutp53R158G alters DNA binding motifs and upregulates TRAIP, a RING domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase which dephosphorylates IĸB and impedes nuclear translocation of RelA (p65), thus repressing oncogenic nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-ĸB) signaling and inducing apoptosis. Given that this mechanism of cytotoxic vulnerability appears inapt in p53 wild-type (WT) or other hotspot GOF mutp53 cells, our work provides a therapeutic opportunity specific to Arg158-mutp53 tumors utilizing a regimen consisting of DNA-damaging agents and mutp53 acetylators, which is currently being pursued clinically.
Asunto(s)
Codón/genética , Mutación/genética , Neoplasias/genética , Proteína p53 Supresora de Tumor/genética , Acetilación/efectos de los fármacos , Animales , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Apoptosis/genética , Caspasa 3/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Cisplatino/farmacología , Epigénesis Genética/efectos de los fármacos , Mutación con Ganancia de Función/genética , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Ácidos Hidroxámicos/farmacología , Ratones SCID , Modelos Biológicos , Proteínas Mutantes/metabolismo , FN-kappa B/metabolismo , Neoplasias/tratamiento farmacológico , Motivos de Nucleótidos/genética , Poli(ADP-Ribosa) Polimerasas/metabolismo , Unión Proteica/efectos de los fármacos , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Sulfonamidas/farmacología , Topotecan/farmacología , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismo , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de XenoinjertoRESUMEN
c-MET receptors are activated in cancers through genomic events like tyrosine kinase domain mutations, juxtamembrane splicing mutation and amplified copy numbers, which can be inhibited by c-MET small molecule inhibitors. Here, we discover that the most common polymorphism known to affect MET gene (N375S), involving the semaphorin domain, confers exquisite binding affinity for HER2 and enables METN375S to interact with HER2 in a ligand-independent fashion. The resultant METN375S/HER2 dimer transduces potent proliferative, pro-invasive and pro-metastatic cues through the HER2 signaling axis to drive aggressive squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) and lung (LUSC), and is associated with poor prognosis. Accordingly, HER2 blockers, but not c-MET inhibitors, are paradoxically effective at restraining in vivo and in vitro models expressing METN375S. These results establish METN375S as a biologically distinct and clinically actionable molecular subset of SCCs that are uniquely amenable to HER2 blocking therapies.