ATF2 loss promotes tumor invasion in colorectal cancer cells via upregulation of cancer driver TROP2.

In cancer, the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) has pleiotropic functions in cellular responses to growth stimuli, damage, or inflammation. Due to only limited studies, the significance of ATF2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well understood. We report that low ATF2 levels correlated with worse prognosis and tumor aggressiveness in CRC patients. NanoString gene expression and ChIP analysis confirmed trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) as a novel inhibitory ATF2 target gene. This inverse correlation was further observed in primary human tumor tissues. Immunostainings revealed that high intratumoral heterogeneity for ATF2 and TROP2 expression was sustained also in liver metastasis. Mechanistically, our in vitro data of CRISPR/Cas9-generated ATF2 knockout (KO) clones revealed that high TROP2 levels were critical for cell de-adhesion and increased cell migration without triggering EMT. TROP2 was enriched in filopodia and displaced Paxillin from adherens junctions. In vivo imaging, micro-computer tomography, and immunostainings verified that an ATF2KO/TROP2high status triggered tumor invasiveness in in vivo mouse and chicken xenograft models. In silico analysis provided direct support that ATF2low/TROP2high expression status defined high-risk CRC patients. Finally, our data demonstrate that ATF2 acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting the cancer driver TROP2. Therapeutic TROP2 targeting might prevent particularly the first steps in metastasis, i.e., the de-adhesion and invasion of colon cancer cells.

LPA receptor 1 (LPAR1) is a novel interaction partner of Filamin A that promotes Filamin A phosphorylation, MRTF-A transcriptional activity and oncogene-induced senescence.

Myocardin-related transcription factors A and B (MRTFs) are coactivators of Serum Response Factor (SRF), which controls fundamental biological processes such as cell growth, migration, and differentiation. MRTF and SRF transcriptional activity play an important role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth, which represents the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in humans worldwide. We, therefore, searched for druggable targets in HCC that regulate MRTF/SRF transcriptional activity and can be exploited therapeutically for HCC therapy. We identified the G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1) as a novel interaction partner of MRTF-A and Filamin A (FLNA) using fluorescence resonance energy transfer-(FRET) and proximity ligation assay (PLA) in vitro in HCC cells and in vivo in organoids. We found that LPAR1 promotes FLNA phosphorylation at S2152 which enhances the complex formation of FLNA and MRTF-A, actin polymerization, and MRTF transcriptional activity. Pharmacological blockade or depletion of LPAR1 prevents FLNA phosphorylation and complex formation with MRTF-A, resulting in reduced MRTF/SRF target gene expression and oncogene-induced senescence. Thus, inhibition of the LPAR1-FLNA-MRTF-A interaction represents a promising strategy for HCC therapy.

Tetraspanin 5 (TSPAN5), a Novel Gatekeeper of the Tumor Suppressor DLC1 and Myocardin-Related Transcription Factors (MRTFs), Controls HCC Growth and Senescence.

Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most lethal and common cancers in the human population, and new molecular targets for therapeutic intervention are urgently needed. Deleted in liver cancer 1 (DLC1) was originally identified as a tumor suppressor gene in human HCC. DLC1 is a Rho-GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) which accelerates the return of RhoGTPases to an inactive state. We recently described that the restoration of DLC1 expression induces cellular senescence. However, this principle is not amenable to direct therapeutic targeting. We therefore performed gene expression profiling for HepG2 cells depleted of DLC1 to identify druggable gene targets mediating the effects of DLC1 on senescence induction. This approach revealed that versican (VCAN), tetraspanin 5 (TSPAN5) and N-cadherin (CDH2) were strongly upregulated upon DLC1 depletion in HCC cells, but only TSPAN5 affected the proliferation of HCC cells and human HCC. The depletion of TSPAN5 induced oncogene-induced senescence (OIS), mediated by the p16INK4a/pRb pathways. Mechanistically, silencing TSPAN5 reduced actin polymerization and thereby myocardin-related transcription factor A- filamin A (MRTF-A-FLNA) complex formation, resulting in decreased expression of MRTF/SRF-dependent target genes and senescence induction in vitro and in vivo. Our results identify TSPAN5 as a novel druggable target for HCC.

Inhibition of TRPM7 blocks MRTF/SRF-dependent transcriptional and tumorigenic activity.

Myocardin-related transcription factors A and B (MRTFs) are coactivators of Serum Response Factor (SRF) that mediates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. There is mounting evidence that MRTFs and SRF represent promising targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth. Since MRTF-A nuclear localization is a prerequisite for its transcriptional activity and oncogenic properties, we searched for pharmacologically active compounds able to redistribute MRTF-A to the cytoplasm. We identified NS8593, a negative gating modulator of the transient receptor potential cation channel TRPM7, as a novel inhibitor of MRTF-A nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. Using a pharmacological approach and targeted genome editing, we investigated the functional contribution of TRPM7, a unique ion channel containing a serine-threonine kinase domain, to MRTF transcriptional and tumorigenic activity. We found that TRPM7 function regulates RhoA activity and subsequently actin polymerization, MRTF-A-Filamin A complex formation and MRTF-A/SRF target gene expression. Mechanistically, TRPM7 signaling relies on TRPM7 channel-mediated Mg2+ influx and phosphorylation of RhoA by TRPM7 kinase. Pharmacological blockade of TRPM7 results in oncogene-induced senescence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro and in vivo in HCC xenografts. Hence, inhibition of the TRPM7/MRTF axis emerges as a promising strategy to curb HCC growth.

TRPM7 kinase activity is essential for T cell colonization and alloreactivity in the gut.

The melastatin-like transient-receptor-potential-7 protein (TRPM7), harbouring a cation channel and a serine/threonine kinase, has been implicated in thymopoiesis and cytokine expression. Here we show, by analysing TRPM7 kinase-dead mutant (Trpm7 R/R ) mice, that the enzymatic activity of the receptor is not essential for thymopoiesis, but is required for CD103 transcription and gut-homing of intra-epithelial lymphocytes. Defective T cell gut colonization reduces MHCII expression in intestinal epithelial cells. Mechanistically, TRPM7 kinase activity controls TGF-ß-induced CD103 expression and pro-inflammatory T helper 17, but not regulatory T, cell differentiation by modulating SMAD2. Notably, we find that the TRPM7 kinase activity promotes gut colonization by alloreactive T cells in acute graft-versus-host disease. Thus, our results unravel a function of TRPM7 kinase in T cell activity and suggest a therapeutic potential of kinase inhibitors in averting acute graft-versus-host disease.

Unravelling a new mechanism linking actin polymerization and gene transcription.

In the recent years, the role of actin and actin-binding proteins in gene transcription has received considerable attention. Nuclear monomeric and polymerized actin and several actin binding proteins have been detected in the mammalian cell nucleus, although their roles in transcription are just beginning to emerge. Our group recently reported that the actin-binding protein Filamin A interacts with the transcriptional coactivator MKL1 to link actin polymerization with transcriptional activity of Serum Response Factor. Here we summarize the regulation and function of MKL1, and highlight this novel mechanism of MKL1 regulation through binding to Filamin A and its implications for cell migration.

A fast and simple method for probing the interaction of peptides and proteins with lipids and membrane-mimetics using GB1 fusion proteins and NMR spectroscopy.

The expression of peptides and proteins as fusions to the B1 domain of streptococcal protein G (GB1) is very popular since GB1 often improves the solubility of the target protein and because the first purification step using IgG affinity chromatography is simple and efficient. However, the following protease digest is not always complete or can result in a digest of the target protein. In addition, a further purification step such as RP-HPLC has to be used to get rid of the GB1 tag and undigested fusion protein. Because the protease digest and the following purification step are not only time-consuming but generally also expensive, we tested if GB1 fusion proteins can directly be used for NMR interaction studies using lipids or membrane-mimetics. Based on NMR binding studies using only the GB1 part, this fusion tag does not significantly interact with different membrane-mimetics such as micelles, bicelles, or liposomes. Thus spectral changes observed using GB1-fusion proteins indicate lipid- and membrane interactions of the target protein. The method was initially established to probe membrane interactions of a large number of mutants of the FATC domain of the ser/thr kinase TOR. To demonstrate the usefulness of the approach, we show NMR binding data for the wild type protein and a leucine to alanine mutant.