Understanding the mechanisms underlying anti-tumor immunity is pivotal for improving immune-based cancer therapies. Here, we report that growth of BRAF-mutant melanoma cells is inhibited, up to ...complete rejection, in Siah2
mice. Growth-inhibited tumors exhibit increased numbers of intra-tumoral activated T cells and decreased expression of Ccl17, Ccl22, and Foxp3. Marked reduction in Treg proliferation and tumor infiltration coincide with G1 arrest in tumor infiltrated Siah2
Tregs in vivo or following T cell stimulation in culture, attributed to elevated expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27, a Siah2 substrate. Growth of anti-PD-1 therapy resistant melanoma is effectively inhibited in Siah2
mice subjected to PD-1 blockade, indicating synergy between PD-1 blockade and Siah2 loss. Low SIAH2 and FOXP3 expression is identified in immune responsive human melanoma tumors. Overall, Siah2 regulation of Treg recruitment and cell cycle progression effectively controls melanoma development and Siah2 loss in the host sensitizes melanoma to anti-PD-1 therapy.
Melanoma development involves members of the AGC kinase family, including AKT, PKC, and, most recently, PDK1, as elucidated recently in studies of Braf::Pten mutant melanomas. Here, we report that ...PDK1 contributes functionally to skin pigmentation and to the development of melanomas harboring a wild-type PTEN genotype, which occurs in about 70% of human melanomas. The PDK1 substrate SGK3 was determined to be an important mediator of PDK1 activities in melanoma cells. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of PDK1 and SGK3 attenuated melanoma growth by inducing G1 phase cell-cycle arrest. In a synthetic lethal screen, pan-PI3K inhibition synergized with PDK1 inhibition to suppress melanoma growth, suggesting that focused blockade of PDK1/PI3K signaling might offer a new therapeutic modality for wild-type PTEN tumors. We also noted that responsiveness to PDK1 inhibition associated with decreased expression of pigmentation genes and increased expression of cytokines and inflammatory genes, suggesting a method to stratify patients with melanoma for PDK1-based therapies. Overall, our work highlights the potential significance of PDK1 as a therapeutic target to improve melanoma treatment.
The RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase Siah2 is implicated in control of diverse cellular biological events, including MAPK signaling and hypoxia. Here we demonstrate that Siah2 is subject to regulation ...by the deubiquitinating enzyme USP13. Overexpression of USP13 increases Siah2 stability by attenuating its autodegradation. Consequently, the ability of Siah2 to target its substrates prolyl hydroxylase 3 and Spry2 (Sprouty2) for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation is attenuated. Conversely, inhibition of USP13 expression with corresponding shRNA decreases the stability of both Siah2 and its substrate Spry2. Thus, USP13 limits Siah2 autodegradation and its ubiquitin ligase activity against its target substrates. Strikingly, the effect of USP13 on Siah2 is not mediated by its isopeptidase activity: mutations in its ubiquitin-binding sequences positioned within the ubiquitin-specific processing protease and ubiquitin-binding domains, but not within putative catalytic sites, abolish USP13 binding to and effect on Siah2 autodegradation and targeted ubiquitination. Notably, USP13 expression is attenuated in melanoma cells maintained under hypoxia, thereby relieving Siah2 inhibition and increasing its activity under low oxygen levels. Significantly, on melanoma tissue microarray, high nuclear expression of USP13 coincided with high nuclear expression of Siah2. Overall, this study identifies a new layer of Siah2 regulation mediated by USP13 binding to ubiquitinated Siah2 protein with a concomitant inhibitory effect on its activity under normoxia.
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factors respond to multiple environmental stressors, including hypoxia and hypoglycemia. We report that mice lacking the HIF family member HIF-2alpha ...(encoded by Epas1) have a syndrome of multiple-organ pathology, biochemical abnormalities and altered gene expression patterns. Histological and ultrastructural analyses showed retinopathy, hepatic steatosis, cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal myopathy, hypocellular bone marrow, azoospermia and mitochondrial abnormalities in these mice. Serum and urine metabolite studies showed hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, altered Krebs cycle function and dysregulated fatty acid oxidation. Biochemical assays showed enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas molecular analyses indicated reduced expression of genes encoding the primary antioxidant enzymes (AOEs). Transfection analyses showed that HIF-2alpha could efficiently transactivate the promoters of the primary AOEs. Prenatal or postnatal treatment of Epas1-/- mice with a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic reversed several aspects of the null phenotype. We propose a rheostat role for HIF-2alpha that allows for the maintenance of ROS as well as mitochondrial homeostasis.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) responds to changes in intracellular homeostasis through activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Yet, it is not known how UPR-signaling coordinates ...adaptation versus cell death. Previous studies suggested that signaling through PERK/ATF4 is required for cell death. We show that high levels of ER stress (i.e., ischemia-like conditions) induce transcription of the ubiquitin ligases Siah1/2 through the UPR transducers PERK/ATF4 and IRE1/sXBP1. In turn, Siah1/2 attenuates proline hydroxylation of ATF4, resulting in its stabilization, thereby augmenting ER stress output. Conversely, ATF4 activation is reduced upon Siah1/2 KD in cultured cells, which attenuates ER stress-induced cell death. Notably, Siah1a(+/-)::Siah2(-/-) mice subjected to neuronal ischemia exhibited smaller infarct volume and were protected from ischemia-induced death, compared with the wild type (WT) mice. In all, Siah1/2 constitutes an obligatory fine-tuning mechanism that predisposes cells to death under severe ER stress conditions.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Melanoma is one of the most lethal cutaneous malignancies, characterized by chemoresistance and a striking propensity to metastasize. The transcription factor ATF2 elicits oncogenic activities in ...melanoma, and its inhibition attenuates melanoma development. Here, we show that expression of a transcriptionally inactive form of Atf2 (Atf2Δ8,9) promotes development of melanoma in mouse models. Atf2Δ8,9-driven tumors show enhanced pigmentation, immune infiltration, and metastatic propensity. Similar to mouse Atf2Δ8,9, we have identified a transcriptionally inactive human ATF2 splice variant 5 (ATF2SV5) that enhances the growth and migration capacity of cultured melanoma cells and immortalized melanocytes. ATF2SV5 expression is elevated in human melanoma specimens and is associated with poor prognosis. These findings point to an oncogenic function for ATF2 in melanoma development that appears to be independent of its transcriptional activity.
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•Transcriptionally inactive ATF2 (Atf2Δ8,9) induces pigmentation•Atf2Δ8,9 induces melanoma in BrafV600E mice•Genes implicated in immune cell recruitment and metastasis are induced by Atf2Δ8,9•Human ATF2 splice variant 5 phenocopies Atf2Δ8,9 and coincides with poor prognosis
Claps et al. demonstrate that a transcriptionally inactive isoform of ATF2 lacking exons 8 and 9 is sufficient to promote melanoma in mouse models. They also identify a transcriptionally inactive human splice variant of ATF2, which resembles the mouse isoform, that is expressed in melanoma specimens and is associated with poor prognosis.
Cellular components of the tumor microenvironment, including myeloid cells, play important roles in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its response to therapy. Here, we characterize ...the function of the ubiquitin ligases Siah1a/2 in regulating the differentiation and activity of alveolar macrophages (AM) and assess the implication of Siah1a/2 control of AMs for carcinogen-induced LUAD. Macrophage-specific genetic ablation of Siah1a/2 promoted accumulation of AMs with an immature phenotype and increased expression of protumorigenic and pro-inflammatory Stat3 and β-catenin gene signatures. Administration of urethane to wild-type mice promoted enrichment of immature-like AMs and lung tumor development, which was enhanced by macrophage-specific Siah1a/2 ablation. The profibrotic gene signature seen in Siah1a/2-ablated immature-like macrophages was associated with increased tumor infiltration of CD14+ myeloid cells and poorer survival of patients with LUAD. Single-cell RNA-seq confirmed the presence of a cluster of immature-like AMs expressing a profibrotic signature in lungs of patients with LUAD, a signature enhanced in smokers. These findings identify Siah1a/2 in AMs as gatekeepers of lung cancer development.
The ubiquitin ligases Siah1a/2 control proinflammatory signaling, differentiation, and profibrotic phenotypes of alveolar macrophages to suppress lung carcinogenesis.
Abstract
Growing evidence supports the important role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in melanoma progression and response to therapy. MDSC contributes to a pro-tumorigenic phenotype, yet ...the mechanistic basis for the immune suppressor properties acquired by MDSC remains largely unknown. Mammals have two homologous Siah genes, Siah1 (Siah1a and Siah1b in mice) and Siah2. In the context of melanoma, the ubiquitin ligases Siah1a and Siah2 have melanoma-intrinsic and -extrinsic (immune) functions. Correspondingly, ablation of Siah1a/2 in melanoma or its microenvironment attenuates melanoma development in a number of mouse melanoma models. Given that number of macrophage clusters infiltrated into melanoma when grown in Siah2 KO mice, we set to assess macrophage function in melanoma. Selective ablation of Siah1a or Siah2 in macrophages, using Lyz2Cre, revealed that Siah1a but not Siah2 elicits a tumor suppressor function in melanoma. Inoculation of mouse melanoma Yummer1.7 cells (Braf mutated and Pten deleted) in mice lacking Siah1a in macrophages, resulted in bigger melanoma tumors compared to melanoma grown in either WT or mice in which macrophages were ablated of Siah2. FACS analysis of melanoma tumors grown in mice harboring Siah1a mutant macrophages revealed a significant increase in MDSC, which coincided with a decrease in CD4+ and CD8+ cells, compared with WT mice. These observations suggest that a lack of Siah1a in macrophages leads to an expansion of MDSC that affects surrounding immune cells, including T cells. RNA-seq analysis of MDSC that were differentiated in vitro from bone marrow cells of WT or Siah1a ablated macrophage mice revealed increased expression of genes involved in proliferation and alternative macrophage activation in MDSC lacking Siah1a when compared to the WT genotype. Mapping mechanisms underlying Siah1a tumor suppressor function is expected to reveal novel regulatory cues in melanoma control by the MDSC population while mapping novel means for stratifications of melanoma to therapy, and possibly new means for therapy of this tumor type.
Citation Format: Marzia Scortegagna, Yuanning Du, Yongmei Feng, Ze'ev Ronai. Tumor suppressor function of the ubiquitin ligase Siah1a in melanoma is mediated by myeloid derived suppressor cells abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6864.
The Siah ubiquitin ligases are members of the RING finger E3 ligases. The Siah E3s are conserved from fly to mammals. Primarily implicated in cellular stress responses, Siah ligases play a key role ...in hypoxia, through the regulation of HIF-1α transcription stability and activity. Concomitantly, physiological conditions associated with varying oxygen tension often highlight the importance of Siah, as seen in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Notably, recent studies also point to the role of these ligases in fundamental processes including DNA damage response, cellular organization and polarity. This review summarizes the current understanding of upstream regulators and downstream effectors of Siah.
Mechanisms regulating nuclear organization control fundamental cellular processes, including the cell and chromatin organization. Their disorganization, including aberrant nuclear architecture, has ...been often implicated in cellular transformation. Here, we identify Lamin A, among proteins essential for nuclear architecture, as SPANX (sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X chromosome), a cancer testis antigen previously linked to invasive tumor phenotypes, interacting protein in melanoma. SPANX interaction with Lamin A was mapped to the immunoglobulin fold-like domain, a region critical for Lamin A function, which is often mutated in laminopathies. SPANX downregulation in melanoma cell lines perturbed nuclear organization, decreased cell viability, and promoted senescence-associated phenotypes. Moreover, SPANX knockdown (KD) in melanoma cells promoted proliferation arrest, a phenotype mediated in part by IRF3/IL1A signaling. SPANX KD in melanoma cells also prompted the secretion of IL1A, which attenuated the proliferation of naïve melanoma cells. Identification of SPANX as a nuclear architecture complex component provides an unexpected insight into the regulation of Lamin A and its importance in melanoma. IMPLICATIONS: SPANX, a testis protein, interacts with LMNA and controls nuclear architecture and melanoma growth.