RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Triple-negative (TN) breast cancer represents a subtype of breast cancer that does not express estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). Clinically, it is characterized by high invasiveness, high metastatic potential, and poor prognosis. Inhibitor of DNA binding 4 (ID4) has been shown to be overexpressed in these tumors acting as an oncogene responsible for many of its aggressive features. CDC42, a plasma membrane-associated small GTPase, can downregulate ID4 gene expression through hypermethylation of its promoter in colorectal adenocarcinomas. Since ID4 acts as an oncogene and is hypomethylated in TN breast tumors, here we asked whether CDC42 could also epigenetically silence ID4 and in doing so revert aggressive features of this tumor type. METHODS: Gene expression was retrieved from TCGA database using UCSC Xena. Association between overall survival (OS) and gene expression was assessed using Kaplan-Meier plotter. In vitro experiments involved ectopic expression of CDC42 in MDA-MB231and in MDA-MB468 breast cancer cell lines. Gene expression was analyzed by qPCR, western blot and inmunofluorescence assays and methylation by MSP, MS-MLPA, or ddMSP. RESULTS: Data mining analysis revealed that CDC42 expression varies among breast cancer subtypes that in the basal-like subtype there is an inverse correlation between CDC42 and ID4 expression and a positive correlation between CDC42 expression and ID4 methylation. In vitro experiments revealed that CDC42 overexpression induced ID4 methylation through the activation of the EZH2 pathway. ID4 silencing produced an increase in BRCA1 expression and a less aggressive phenotype in the tested cell line. CONCLUSION: We show that CDC42 silences ID4 through methylation in TN breast cancer. Given that ID4 acts as an oncogene in these tumors, we think that finding an epigenetic regulator of ID4 contributes to the research and clinical management of TN breast tumors.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Metilação de DNA , Epigênese Genética , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Proteínas Inibidoras de Diferenciação/genética , Proteínas Inibidoras de Diferenciação/metabolismo , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Receptores de Estrogênio/metabolismo , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/genética , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/patologia , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTPRESUMO
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer, with a high predisposition for locally invasive and metastatic cancer. With the objective to reduce cancer metastasis, we developed small molecule inhibitors to target the drivers of metastasis, the Rho GTPases Rac and Cdc42. Of these, MBQ-167 inhibits both Rac and Cdc42 with IC50s of 103 and 78 nmol/L, respectively; and consequently, inhibits p21-activated kinase (PAK) signaling, metastatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, and mammosphere growth; induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis; and decreases HER2-type mammary fatpad tumor growth and metastasis (Humphries-Bickley and colleagues, 2017). Herein, we used nuclear magnetic resonance to show that MBQ-167 directly interacts with Rac1 to displace specific amino acids, and consequently inhibits Rac.GTP loading and viability in TNBC cell lines. Phosphokinome arrays in the MDA-MB-231 human TNBC cells show that phosphorylation status of kinases independent of the Rac/Cdc42/PAK pathway are not significantly changed following 200 nmol/L MBQ-167 treatment. Western blotting shows that initial increases in phospho-c-Jun and phospho-CREB in response to MBQ-167 are not sustained with prolonged exposure, as also confirmed by a decrease in their transcriptional targets. MBQ-167 inhibits tumor growth, and spontaneous and experimental metastasis in immunocompromised (human TNBC) and immunocompetent (mouse TNBC) models. Moreover, per oral administration of MBQ-167 at 100 mg/kg body weight is not toxic to immunocompetent BALB/c mice and has a half-life of 4.6 hours in plasma. These results highlight the specificity, potency, and bioavailability of MBQ-167, and support its clinical potential as a TNBC therapeutic.
Assuntos
Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/genética , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas rac1 de Ligação ao GTP/antagonistas & inibidores , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos SCID , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/patologiaRESUMO
Sperm acquire the ability to fertilize in a process called capacitation and undergo hyperactivation, a change in the motility pattern, which depends on Ca2+ transport by CatSper channels. CatSper is essential for fertilization and it is subjected to a complex regulation that is not fully understood. Here, we report that similar to CatSper, Cdc42 distribution in the principal piece is confined to four linear domains and this localization is disrupted in CatSper1-null sperm. Cdc42 inhibition impaired CatSper activity and other Ca2+ -dependent downstream events resulting in a severe compromise of the sperm fertilizing potential. We also demonstrate that Cdc42 is essential for CatSper function by modulating cAMP production by soluble adenylate cyclase (sAC), providing a new regulatory mechanism for the stimulation of CatSper by the cAMP-dependent pathway. These results reveal a broad mechanistic insight into the regulation of Ca2+ in mammalian sperm, a matter of critical importance in male infertility as well as in contraception.
Assuntos
Canais de Cálcio/metabolismo , Espermatozoides/metabolismo , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Animais , Cálcio/metabolismo , Canais de Cálcio/deficiência , Canais de Cálcio/genética , Sinalização do Cálcio , AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Feminino , Fertilização in vitro , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Modelos Biológicos , Transdução de Sinais , Capacitação Espermática/fisiologia , Motilidade dos Espermatozoides/fisiologia , Cauda do Espermatozoide/metabolismo , Espermatozoides/efeitos dos fármacos , Espermatozoides/ultraestrutura , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/antagonistas & inibidoresRESUMO
The acquisition of neuronal polarity is a complex molecular process that depends on changes in cytoskeletal dynamics and directed membrane traffic, regulated by the Rho and Rab families of small GTPases, respectively. However, during axon specification, a molecular link that couples these protein families has yet to be identified. In this paper, we describe a new positive feedback loop between Rab8a and Cdc42, coupled by Tuba, a Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF), that ensures a single axon generation in rodent hippocampal neurons from embryos of either sex. Accordingly, Rab8a or Tuba gain-of-function generates neurons with supernumerary axons whereas Rab8a or Tuba loss-of-function abrogated axon specification, phenocopying the well-established effect of Cdc42 on neuronal polarity. Although Rab8 and Tuba do not interact physically, the activity of Rab8 is essential to generate a proximal to distal axonal gradient of Tuba in cultured neurons. Tuba-associated and Rab8a-associated polarity defects are also evidenced in vivo, since dominant negative (DN) Rab8a or Tuba knock-down impairs cortical neuronal migration in mice. Our results suggest that Tuba coordinates directed vesicular traffic and cytoskeleton dynamics during neuronal polarization.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The morphologic, biochemical, and functional differences observed between axon and dendrites, require dramatic structural changes. The extension of an axon that is 1 µm in diameter and grows at rates of up to 500 µm/d, demands the confluence of two cellular processes: directed membrane traffic and fine-tuned cytoskeletal dynamics. In this study, we show that both processes are integrated in a positive feedback loop, mediated by the guanine nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF) Tuba. Tuba connects the activities of the Rab GTPase Rab8a and the Rho GTPase Cdc42, ensuring the generation of a single axon in cultured hippocampal neurons and controlling the migration of cortical neurons in the developing brain. Finally, we provide compelling evidence that Tuba is the GEF that mediates Cdc42 activation during the development of neuronal polarity.
Assuntos
Polaridade Celular/fisiologia , Proteínas do Citoesqueleto/metabolismo , Neurogênese/fisiologia , Neurônios/citologia , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Proteínas rab de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Animais , Células COS , Movimento Celular/fisiologia , Chlorocebus aethiops , Retroalimentação Fisiológica/fisiologia , Feminino , Hipocampo/embriologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Transporte Proteico/fisiologia , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-DawleyRESUMO
Gα proteins promote dynamic adjustments of cell shape directed by actin-cytoskeleton reorganization via their respective RhoGEF effectors. For example, Gα13 binding to the RGS-homology (RH) domains of several RH-RhoGEFs allosterically activates these proteins, causing them to expose their catalytic Dbl-homology (DH)/pleckstrin-homology (PH) regions, which triggers downstream signals. However, whether additional Gα proteins might directly regulate the RH-RhoGEFs was not known. To explore this question, we first examined the morphological effects of expressing shortened RH-RhoGEF DH/PH constructs of p115RhoGEF/ARHGEF1, PDZ-RhoGEF (PRG)/ARHGEF11, and LARG/ARHGEF12. As expected, the three constructs promoted cell contraction and activated RhoA, known to be downstream of Gα13 Intriguingly, PRG DH/PH also induced filopodia-like cell protrusions and activated Cdc42. This pathway was stimulated by constitutively active Gαs (GαsQ227L), which enabled endogenous PRG to gain affinity for Cdc42. A chemogenetic approach revealed that signaling by Gs-coupled receptors, but not by those coupled to Gi or Gq, enabled PRG to bind Cdc42. This receptor-dependent effect, as well as CREB phosphorylation, was blocked by a construct derived from the PRG:Gαs-binding region, PRG-linker. Active Gαs interacted with isolated PRG DH and PH domains and their linker. In addition, this construct interfered with GαsQ227L's ability to guide PRG's interaction with Cdc42. Endogenous Gs-coupled prostaglandin receptors stimulated PRG binding to membrane fractions and activated signaling to PKA, and this canonical endogenous pathway was attenuated by PRG-linker. Altogether, our results demonstrate that active Gαs can recognize PRG as a novel effector directing its DH/PH catalytic module to gain affinity for Cdc42.
Assuntos
Movimento Celular , Subunidades alfa G12-G13 de Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Domínios de Homologia à Plecstrina/genética , Pseudópodes/metabolismo , Fatores de Troca de Nucleotídeo Guanina Rho/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Humanos , Camundongos , FosforilaçãoRESUMO
The small GTPase Cdc42, a member of the Rho family, regulates essential biological processes such as cytoskeleton remodeling, migration, vesicular trafficking and cell cycle. It was demonstrated that Cdc42 overactivation through different molecular strategies increases cell sensitivity to genotoxic stress and affects the phosphorylation status of DNA damage response proteins by unknown mechanisms. By using a combination of approaches including affinity purification/mass spectrometry (AP/MS) and colocalization microscopy analysis we were able to identify Cdc42EP3/Borg2 as a putative molecular effector of these molecular and cellular events that seem to be independent of cell line or DNA damage stimuli. We then investigated the influence of Cdc42EP3/Borg2 and other potential protein partners, such as the NCK and Septin2 proteins, which could mediate cellular responses to genotoxic stress under different backgrounds of Cdc42 activity. Clonogenic assays showed a reduced cell survival when ectopically expressing the Cdc42EP3/Borg2, NCK2 or Septin2 in an overactivated Cdc42-dependent background. Moreover, endogenous NCK appears to relocate into the nucleus upon Cdc42 overactivation, especially under genotoxic stress, and promotes the suppression of Chk1 phosphorylation. In sum, our findings reinforce Cdc42 as an important player involved in the DNA damage response acting through Cdc42EP3/Borg2 and NCK proteins following genomic instability conditions.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/metabolismo , DNA/metabolismo , Reguladores de Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Proteínas Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Movimento Celular/fisiologia , Sobrevivência Celular/fisiologia , Citoesqueleto/metabolismo , Instabilidade Genômica/genética , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologiaRESUMO
Cdc42, a member of the Rho GTPase family, is an intracellular signaling protein known for its roles in cytoskeleton rearrangements and, more recently, in apoptosis/senescence triggered by genotoxic stress. In some tumor cells, the overactivation of Cdc42 through the expression of constitutively active mutants (G12V or Q61L), GEF activation, or GAP downregulation functions as an antiproliferative or pro-aging mechanism. In this study, human cell lines with different P53 protein profiles were exposed to UV radiation, and the interactions between Cdc42 and proteins that are putatively involved in the DNA damage response and repair mechanisms were screened. The affinity-purified proteins obtained through pull-down experiments of the cell lysates using the recombinant protein baits GST, GST-Cdc42-WT, or GST-Cdc42-G12V were identified by mass spectrometry. The resulting data were filtered and used for the construction of protein-protein interaction networks. Among several promising proteins, three targets, namely, PAK4, PHB-2, and 14-3-3η, which are involved in the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair, and chromatin remodeling processes, were identified. Biochemical validation experiments showed physical and proximal interactions between Cdc42 and the three targets in the cells, particularly after exposure to UV. The results suggest that the molecular mechanisms coordinated by overactivated Cdc42 (with the G12V mutation) to increase the cellular sensitivity to UV radiation and the susceptibility to cell death are collectively mediated by these three proteins. Therefore, the Cdc42 GTPase can potentially be considered another player involved in maintenance of the genomic stability of human cells during exposure to genotoxic stress.
Assuntos
Proteínas 14-3-3/metabolismo , Instabilidade Genômica , Proteômica/métodos , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Quinases Ativadas por p21/metabolismo , Morte Celular/efeitos da radiação , Linhagem Celular , Reparo do DNA , Humanos , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Proibitinas , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/análise , Raios Ultravioleta/efeitos adversos , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/genéticaRESUMO
CDC42 interacting protein 4 (CIP4) is a CDC42 effector that coordinates membrane deformation and actin polymerization. The correlation of CIP4 overexpression with metastatic capacity has been characterized in several types of cancer. However, little information exists on how CIP4 function is regulated. CIP4 interacts with A-kinase (PKA) anchoring protein 350 (AKAP350) and CIP4 is also a PKA substrate. Here, we identified CIP4 T225 as the major CIP4 PKA phosphorylation site. In vitro and in vivo experiments using hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and breast cancer cells showed that expression of a CIP4(T225E) phosphomimetic mutant increased cancer cell metastatic capacity and that, conversely, expression of a CIP4(T225A) non-phosphorylatable mutant reduced invasive properties. PKA inhibition decreased to CIP4(T225A) cell-levels control but not CIP4(T225E) cell migratory and invasive efficiency. Concomitantly, our studies indicate that CIP4 T225 phosphorylation promotes the formation of functional invadopodia and enhances CIP4 localization at these structures. Our findings further provide mechanistic data indicating that CIP4 T225 phosphorylation facilitates CIP4 interaction with CDC42. Altogether this study identifies a signaling pathway that involves CIP4 phosphorylation by PKA during the acquisition of a metastatic phenotype in cancer cells.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Proteínas Quinases Dependentes de AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/secundário , Neoplasias Pulmonares/secundário , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Menor/metabolismo , Animais , Apoptose , Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/metabolismo , Movimento Celular , Proliferação de Células , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/genética , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Menor/genética , Invasividade Neoplásica , Fosforilação , Podossomos/metabolismo , Podossomos/patologia , Transdução de Sinais , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismoRESUMO
Several lines of indirect evidence, such as mutations or dysregulated expression of genes related to cytoskeleton, have suggested that cytoskeletal dynamics, a process essential for axons and dendrites development, is compromised in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, no study has yet examined whether cytoskeleton dynamics is functionally altered in cells from ASD patients. Here we investigated the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) of 13 ASD patients and 8 control individuals by inducing actin filament depolymerization and then measuing their reconstruction upon activation of the RhoGTPases Rac, Cdc42 or RhoA. We observed that stem cells from seven ASD individuals (53%) presented altered dymanics of filament reconstruction, including a patient recently studied by our group whose iPSC-derived neuronal cells show shorten and less arborized neurites. We also report potentially pathogenic genetic variants that might be related to the alterations in actin repolymerization dynamics observed in some patient-derived cells. Our results suggest that, at least for a subgroup of ASD patients, the dynamics of actin polymerization is impaired, which might be ultimately leading to neuronal abnormalities.
Assuntos
Citoesqueleto de Actina/química , Actinas/química , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/genética , Neurônios/química , Citoesqueleto de Actina/genética , Actinas/genética , Animais , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/metabolismo , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/patologia , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/genética , Humanos , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/química , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neurônios/patologia , Esfoliação de Dente , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/genética , Proteínas rac de Ligação ao GTP/genética , Proteína rhoA de Ligação ao GTP/genéticaRESUMO
Rac and Cdc42 are small GTPases that have been linked to multiple human cancers and are implicated in epithelial to mesenchymal transition, cell-cycle progression, migration/invasion, tumor growth, angiogenesis, and oncogenic transformation. With the exception of the P29S driver mutation in melanoma, Rac and Cdc42 are not generally mutated in cancer, but are overexpressed (gene amplification and mRNA upregulation) or hyperactivated. Rac and Cdc42 are hyperactivated via signaling through oncogenic cell surface receptors, such as growth factor receptors, which converge on the guanine nucleotide exchange factors that regulate their GDP/GTP exchange. Hence, targeting Rac and Cdc42 represents a promising strategy for precise cancer therapy, as well as for inhibition of bypass signaling that promotes resistance to cell surface receptor-targeted therapies. Therefore, an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of these pivotal signaling intermediates is key for the development of effective inhibitors. In this review, we focus on the role of Rac and Cdc42 in cancer and summarize the regulatory mechanisms, inhibitory efficacy, and the anticancer potential of Rac- and Cdc42-targeting agents. Cancer Res; 78(12); 3101-11. ©2018 AACR.