bims-pimaco 2022-09-04 papers

Issue of 2022‒09‒04
seven papers selected by
Lucas B. Zeiger
Beatson Institute for Cancer Research

J Immunother Precis Oncol. 2022 Aug;5(3): 68-78

Targeting KRAS: Crossroads of Signaling and Immune Inhibition.

Mutations of RAS are commonly seen in human cancers, especially in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Despite huge effort for decades, targeting RAS mutations has been "undruggable" because of the molecular instability of RAS protein inhibition. However, the recent discovery of the KRAS G12C inhibitor paved the way to expand therapeutic options for patients with cancer harboring the KRAS G12C mutation. At the same time, the successful development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) drastically changed the paradigm of cancer treatment and resulted in a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment in patients with KRAS-mutant cancer. This review describes the following: the clinical characteristics of cancer with KRAS mutation; successful development of the KRAS G12C inhibitor and its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment; and potential new avenues such as the combination strategy using KRAS inhibitor and ICI, with preclinical and clinical rationales for overcoming resistance to inhibition of KRAS to improve therapeutic efficacy for patients with cancer harboring KRAS mutations.

Keywords: KRAS G12C inhibitor; KRAS mutation; immune checkpoint inhibitor; tumor immune microenvironment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36401/JIPO-22-5

J Biol Chem. 2022 Aug 27. pii: S0021-9258(22)00880-8. [Epub ahead of print] 102437

The RNA-binding protein AUF1 facilitates Akt phosphorylation at the membrane.

Mei-Ling Li, Aparna Ragupathi, Nikhil Patel, Tatiana Hernandez, Jedrick Magsino, Guy Werlen, Gary Brewer, Estela Jacinto.

mTOR, which is part of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2, controls cellular metabolism in response to levels of nutrients and other growth signals. A hallmark of mTORC2 activation is the phosphorylation of Akt, which becomes upregulated in cancer. How mTORC2 modulates Akt phosphorylation remains poorly understood. Here, we found that the RNA binding protein, AUF1 (ARE/poly(U)-binding/degradation factor 1), modulates mTORC2/Akt signaling. We determined that AUF1 is required for phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308, Thr450, and Ser473, and that AUF1 also mediates phosphorylation of the mTORC2-modulated metabolic enzyme GFAT1 at Ser243. Additionally, AUF1 immunoprecipitation followed by qRT-PCR revealed that the mRNAs of Akt, GFAT1, and the mTORC2 component SIN1 associate with AUF1. Furthermore, expression of the p40 and p45, but not the p37 or p42, isoforms of AUF1 specifically mediate Akt phosphorylation. In the absence of AUF1, subcellular fractionation indicated that Akt fails to localize to the membrane. However, ectopic expression of a membrane-targeted allele of Akt is sufficient to allow Akt-Ser473 phosphorylation despite AUF1 depletion. Finally, conditions that enhance mTORC2 signaling, such as acute glutamine withdrawal augment AUF1 phosphorylation while mTOR inhibition abolishes AUF1 phosphorylation. Our findings unravel a role for AUF1 in promoting membrane localization of Akt to facilitate its phosphorylation on this cellular compartment. Targeting AUF1 could have therapeutic benefit for cancers with upregulated mTORC2/Akt signaling.

Keywords: AUF1; Akt; RNA binding protein; glutamine; hnRNP D; mTOR; mTORC2

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102437

Discov Oncol. 2022 Sep 01. 13(1): 84

Cytotoxicity of combinations of the pan-KRAS SOS1 inhibitor BAY-293 against pancreatic cancer cell lines.

Adelina Plangger, Barbara Rath, Sandra Stickler, Maximilian Hochmair, Clemens Lang, Lukas Weigl, Martin Funovics, Gerhard Hamilton.

KRAS is mutated in approximately 25% of cancer patients and first KRAS G12C-specific inhibitors showed promising responses. Pancreatic cancer has the highest frequency of KRAS mutations but the prevailing KRAS G12D mutation is difficult to target. Inhibition of the GTP exchange factor (GEF) SOS1-KRAS interaction impairs oncogenic signaling independently of the specific KRAS mutations. In general, cell lines exhibiting KRAS mutations show specific alterations in respect to glucose utilization, signal transduction and stress survival. The aim of this investigation was to check the putative synergy of the SOS1 inhibitor BAY-293 with modulators targeting specific vulnerabilities of KRAS-mutated cell lines in vitro. The cytotoxicity of BAY-293 combinations was tested against MIA PaCa-2 (G12C), AsPC1 (G12D) and BxPC3 (KRAS wildtype) cell lines using MTT tests and calculation of the combination indices (CI) according to the Chou-Talalay method. The results show that BAY-293 synergizes with modulators of glucose utilization, inhibitors of the downstream MAPK pathway and several chemotherapeutics in dependence of the specific KRAS status of the cell lines. In particular, divergent responses for BAY-293 combinations between pancreatic and NSCLC cell lines were observed for linsitinib, superior inhibitory effects of trametinib and PD98059 in NSCLC, and lack of activity with doxorubicin in case of the pancreatic cell lines. Phosphoproteome analysis revealed inhibition of distinct signaling pathways by BAY-293 for MIA PaCa-2 on the one hand and for Aspc1 and BH1362 on the other hand. In conclusion, BAY-293 exhibits synergy with drugs in dependence of the tumor type and specific KRAS mutation.

Keywords: BAY-293; Drug combinations; KRAS; Pancreatic cancer; SOS1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-022-00550-w

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 ;10 949196

S6 kinase 1 at the central node of cell size and ageing.

Stefano Fumagalli, Mario Pende.

Genetic evidence in living organisms from yeast to plants and animals, including humans, unquestionably identifies the Target Of Rapamycin kinase (TOR or mTOR for mammalian/mechanistic) signal transduction pathway as a master regulator of growth through the control of cell size and cell number. Among the mTOR targets, the activation of p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) is exquisitely sensitive to nutrient availability and rapamycin inhibition. Of note, in vivo analysis of mutant flies and mice reveals that S6K1 predominantly regulates cell size versus cell proliferation. Here we review the putative mechanisms of S6K1 action on cell size by considering the main functional categories of S6K1 targets: substrates involved in nucleic acid and protein synthesis, fat mass accumulation, retrograde control of insulin action, senescence program and cytoskeleton organization. We discuss how S6K1 may be involved in the observed interconnection between cell size, regenerative and ageing responses.

Keywords: ageing; growth; mTOR; nutrition; senescence; signal transduction

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.949196

Front Oncol. 2022 ;12 915512

Mechanistic insights into the clinical Y96D mutation with acquired resistance to AMG510 in the KRASG12C.

Haiming Zhuang, Jigang Fan, Mingyu Li, Hao Zhang, Xiuyan Yang, Ligen Lin, Shaoyong Lu, Qing Wang, Yaqin Liu.

Special oncogenic mutations in the RAS proteins lead to the aberrant activation of RAS and its downstream signaling pathways. AMG510, the first approval drug for KRAS, covalently binds to the mutated cysteine 12 of KRASG12C protein and has shown promising antitumor activity in clinical trials. Recent studies have reported that the clinically acquired Y96D mutation could severely affect the effectiveness of AMG510. However, the underlying mechanism of the drug-resistance remains unclear. To address this, we performed multiple microsecond molecular dynamics simulations on the KRASG12C-AMG510 and KRASG12C/Y96D-AMG510 complexes at the atomic level. The direct interaction between the residue 96 and AMG510 was impaired owing to the Y96D mutation. Moreover, the mutation yielded higher flexibility and more coupled motion of the switch II and α3-helix, which led to the departing motion of the switch II and α3-helix. The resulting departing motion impaired the interaction between the switch II and α3-helix and subsequently induced the opening and loosening of the AMG510 binding pocket, which further disrupted the interaction between the key residues in the pocket and AMG510 and induced an increased solvent exposure of AMG510. These findings reveal the resistance mechanism of AMG510 to KRASG12C/Y96D, which will help to offer guidance for the development of KRAS targeted drugs to overcome acquired resistance.

Keywords: AMG510; G12C; KRAS; drug resistance; molecular dynamics simulations

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.915512