RESUMO
Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor, arising from aberrant cerebellar precursors' development, a process mainly controlled by Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Histone deacetylase HDAC1 has been recently shown to modulate Hh signaling, deacetylating its effectors Gli1/2 and enhancing their transcriptional activity. Therefore, HDAC may represent a potential therapeutic target for Hh-dependent tumors, but still little information is available on the physiological mechanisms of HDAC regulation. The putative tumor suppressor REN(KCTD11) acts through ubiquitination-dependent degradation of HDAC1, thereby affecting Hh activity and medulloblastoma growth. We identify and characterize here two REN(KCTD11) homologues, defining a new family of proteins named KCASH, as "KCTD containing, Cullin3 adaptor, suppressor of Hedgehog." Indeed, the novel genes (KCASH2(KCTD21) and KCASH3(KCTD6)) share with REN(KCTD11) a number of features, such as a BTB domain required for the formation of a Cullin3 ubiquitin ligase complex and HDAC1 ubiquitination and degradation capability, suppressing the acetylation-dependent Hh/Gli signaling. Expression of KCASH2 and -3 is observed in cerebellum, whereas epigenetic silencing and allelic deletion are observed in human medulloblastoma. Rescuing KCASHs expression reduces the Hedgehog-dependent medulloblastoma growth, suggesting that loss of members of this novel family of native HDAC inhibitors is crucial in sustaining Hh pathway-mediated tumorigenesis. Accordingly, they might represent a promising class of endogenous "agents" through which this pathway may be targeted.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/fisiologia , Neoplasias Cerebelares/genética , Proteínas Hedgehog/antagonistas & inibidores , Meduloblastoma/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/química , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Animais , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular , Células Cultivadas , Neoplasias Cerebelares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cerebelares/patologia , Clonagem Molecular , Proteínas Culina/metabolismo , Feminino , Idade Gestacional , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Inibidores de Histona Desacetilases/metabolismo , Histona Desacetilases/metabolismo , Humanos , Meduloblastoma/metabolismo , Meduloblastoma/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Biológicos , Canais de Potássio/química , Gravidez , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Transferases , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Hedgehog signalling is crucial for development and is deregulated in several tumours, including medulloblastoma. Regulation of the transcriptional activity of Gli (glioma-associated oncogene) proteins, effectors of the Hedgehog pathway, is poorly understood. We show here that Gli1 and Gli2 are acetylated proteins and that their HDAC-mediated deacetylation promotes transcriptional activation and sustains a positive autoregulatory loop through Hedgehog-induced upregulation of HDAC1. This mechanism is turned off by HDAC1 degradation through an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex formed by Cullin3 and REN, a Gli antagonist lost in human medulloblastoma. Whereas high HDAC1 and low REN expression in neural progenitors and medulloblastomas correlates with active Hedgehog signalling, loss of HDAC activity suppresses Hedgehog-dependent growth of neural progenitors and tumour cells. Consistent with this, abrogation of Gli1 acetylation enhances cellular proliferation and transformation. These data identify an integrated HDAC- and ubiquitin-mediated circuitry, where acetylation of Gli proteins functions as an unexpected key transcriptional checkpoint of Hedgehog signalling.