Loss of Tankyrase-mediated destruction of 3BP2 is the underlying pathogenic mechanism of cherubism.

Cherubism is an autosomal-dominant syndrome characterized by inflammatory destructive bony lesions resulting in symmetrical deformities of the facial bones. Cherubism is caused by mutations in Sh3bp2, the gene that encodes the adaptor protein 3BP2. Most identified mutations in 3BP2 lie within the peptide sequence RSPPDG. A mouse model of cherubism develops hyperactive bone-remodeling osteoclasts and systemic inflammation characterized by expansion of the myelomonocytic lineage. The mechanism by which cherubism mutations alter 3BP2 function has remained obscure. Here we show that Tankyrase, a member of the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) family, regulates 3BP2 stability through ADP-ribosylation and subsequent ubiquitylation by the E3-ubiquitin ligase RNF146 in osteoclasts. Cherubism mutations uncouple 3BP2 from Tankyrase-mediated protein destruction, which results in its stabilization and subsequent hyperactivation of the SRC, SYK, and VAV signaling pathways.

Smad7 palmitoylation by the S-acyltransferase zDHHC17 enhances its inhibitory effect on TGF-ß/Smad signaling.

Intracellular signaling by the pleiotropic cytokine transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) is inhibited by Smad7 in a feedback control mechanism. The activity of Smad7 is tightly regulated by multiple post-translational modifications. Using resin-assisted capture and metabolic labeling methods, we show here that Smad7 is S-palmitoylated in mammary epithelial cell models that are widely studied because of their strong responses to TGF-ß and their biological relevance to mammary development and tumor progression. S-palmitoylation of Smad7 is mediated by zDHHC17, a member of a family of 23 S-acyltransferase enzymes. Moreover, we identified four cysteine residues (Cys202, Cys225, Cys415, and Cys417) in Smad7 as palmitoylation acceptor sites. S-palmitoylation of Smad7 on Cys415 and Cys417 promoted the translocation of Smad7 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, enhanced the stability of the Smad7 protein, and enforced its inhibitory effect on TGF-ß-induced Smad transcriptional response. Thus, our findings reveal a new post-translational modification of Smad7, and highlight an important role of S-palmitoylation to enhance inhibition of TGF-ß/Smad signaling by Smad7.

RhoD binds the Rab5 effector Rabankyrin-5 and has a role in trafficking of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor.

RhoD is a member of the classical Rho GTPases and it has essential roles in the regulation of actin dynamics. RhoD localizes to early endosomes and recycling endosomes, which indicates its important role in the regulation of endosome trafficking. Here, we show that RhoD binds to the Rab5 effector Rabankyrin-5, and RhoD and Rabankyrin-5 colocalize to Rab5-positive endosomes, which suggests a role for Rabankyrin-5 in the coordination of RhoD and Rab5 in endosomal trafficking. Interestingly, depletion of RhoD using siRNA techniques interfered with the internalization of the PDGFß receptor and the subsequent activation of the downstream signaling cascades. Our data suggest that RhoD and Rabankyrin-5 have important roles in coordinating RhoD and Rab activities during internalization and trafficking of activated tyrosine kinase receptors.

Insights into the binding of PARP inhibitors to the catalytic domain of human tankyrase-2.

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family represents a new class of therapeutic targets with diverse potential disease indications. PARP1 and PARP2 inhibitors have been developed for breast and ovarian tumors manifesting double-stranded DNA-repair defects, whereas tankyrase 1 and 2 (TNKS1 and TNKS2, also known as PARP5a and PARP5b, respectively) inhibitors have been developed for tumors with elevated ß-catenin activity. As the clinical relevance of PARP inhibitors continues to be actively explored, there is heightened interest in the design of selective inhibitors based on the detailed structural features of how small-molecule inhibitors bind to each of the PARP family members. Here, the high-resolution crystal structures of the human TNKS2 PARP domain in complex with 16 various PARP inhibitors are reported, including the compounds BSI-201, AZD-2281 and ABT-888, which are currently in Phase 2 or 3 clinical trials. These structures provide insight into the inhibitor-binding modes for the tankyrase PARP domain and valuable information to guide the rational design of future tankyrase-specific inhibitors.

TGFß and EGF signaling orchestrates the AP-1- and p63 transcriptional regulation of breast cancer invasiveness.

Activator protein (AP)-1 transcription factors are essential elements of the pro-oncogenic functions of transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß)-SMAD signaling. Here we show that in multiple HER2+ and/or EGFR+ breast cancer cell lines these AP-1-dependent tumorigenic properties of TGFß critically rely on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation and expression of the ΔN isoform of transcriptional regulator p63. EGFR and ΔNp63 enabled and/or potentiated the activation of a subset of TGFß-inducible invasion/migration-associated genes, e.g., ITGA2, LAMB3, and WNT7A/B, and enhanced the recruitment of SMAD2/3 to these genes. The TGFß- and EGF-induced binding of SMAD2/3 and JUNB to these gene loci was accompanied by p63-SMAD2/3 and p63-JUNB complex formation. p63 and EGFR were also found to strongly potentiate TGFß induction of AP-1 proteins and, in particular, FOS family members. Ectopic overexpression of FOS could counteract the decrease in TGFß-induced gene activation after p63 depletion. p63 is also involved in the transcriptional regulation of heparin binding (HB)-EGF and EGFR genes, thereby establishing a self-amplification loop that facilitates and empowers the pro-invasive functions of TGFß. These cooperative pro-oncogenic functions of EGFR, AP-1, p63, and TGFß were efficiently inhibited by clinically relevant chemical inhibitors. Our findings may, therefore, be of importance for therapy of patients with breast cancers with an activated EGFR-RAS-RAF pathway.

JNK-Dependent cJun Phosphorylation Mitigates TGFß- and EGF-Induced Pre-Malignant Breast Cancer Cell Invasion by Suppressing AP-1-Mediated Transcriptional Responses.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) has both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects in breast cancer. These functions are partly mediated through Smads, intracellular transcriptional effectors of TGFß. Smads form complexes with other DNA-binding transcription factors to elicit cell-type-dependent responses. Previously, we found that the collagen invasion and migration of pre-malignant breast cancer cells in response to TGFß and epidermal growth factor (EGF) critically depend on multiple Jun and Fos components of the activator protein (AP)-1 transcription factor complex. Here we report that the same process is negatively regulated by Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent cJun phosphorylation. This was demonstrated by analysis of phospho-deficient, phospho-mimicking, and dimer-specific cJun mutants, and experiments employing a mutant version of the phosphatase MKP1 that specifically inhibits JNK. Hyper-phosphorylation of cJun by JNK strongly inhibited its ability to induce several Jun/Fos-regulated genes and to promote migration and invasion. These results show that MEK-AP-1 and JNK-phospho-cJun exhibit distinct pro- and anti-invasive functions, respectively, through differential regulation of Smad- and AP-1-dependent TGFß target genes. Our findings are of importance for personalized cancer therapy, such as for patients suffering from specific types of breast tumors with activated EGF receptor-Ras or inactivated JNK pathways.

IQGAP1 regulates hyaluronan-mediated fibroblast motility and proliferation.

IQGAP1, an essential scaffolding protein, forms a complex with the hyaluronan receptor CD44. In this study, we have examined the importance of IQGAP1 for hyaluronan-mediated fibroblast migration and proliferation. Hyaluronan induced formation of F-actin fibers and focal adhesions, which was dependent on IQGAP1. IQGAP1 was required for hyaluronan- but not for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced cell migration, and was required for both hyaluronan- and PDGF-BB-mediated fibroblast proliferation, but not for proliferation induced by 10% fetal bovine serum. Depletion of IQGAP1 suppressed hyaluronan-induced activation of Rac1 and enhanced the activation of RhoA. Taken together, these findings indicate important roles for IQGAP1 in hyaluronan-stimulated migration and proliferation of fibroblasts.