CHK1 protects oncogenic KRAS-expressing cells from DNA damage and is a target for pancreatic cancer treatment.
Cell Rep
; 37(9): 110060, 2021 11 30.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34852220
ABSTRACT
We apply genetic screens to delineate modulators of KRAS mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) sensitivity to ERK inhibitor treatment, and we identify components of the ATR-CHK1 DNA damage repair (DDR) pathway. Pharmacologic inhibition of CHK1 alone causes apoptotic growth suppression of both PDAC cell lines and organoids, which correlates with loss of MYC expression. CHK1 inhibition also activates ERK and AMPK and increases autophagy, providing a mechanistic basis for increased efficacy of concurrent CHK1 and ERK inhibition and/or autophagy inhibition with chloroquine. To assess how CHK1 inhibition-induced ERK activation promotes PDAC survival, we perform a CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen targeting direct/indirect ERK substrates and identify RIF1. A key component of non-homologous end joining repair, RIF1 suppression sensitizes PDAC cells to CHK1 inhibition-mediated apoptotic growth suppression. Furthermore, ERK inhibition alone decreases RIF1 expression and phenocopies RIF1 depletion. We conclude that concurrent DDR suppression enhances the efficacy of ERK and/or autophagy inhibitors in KRAS mutant PDAC.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pancreatic Neoplasms
/
DNA Damage
/
Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
/
Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal
/
Protein Kinase Inhibitors
/
Checkpoint Kinase 1
/
Mutation
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell Rep
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States