Abstract LB-77: Crm1-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport inhibition perturbs multiple cellular pathways to trigger melanoma cell apoptosis

Abstract

Abstract Development of multiple resistance mechanisms in melanomas has necessitated the identification of novel drug targets, which when inhibited could impact multiple cellular pathways thus circumventing potential resistance mechanisms. By performing cDNA-microarray analysis, we identified four key components of the nucleocytoplasmic transport machinery, Chromosome Region Maintenance 1 (Crm1), Ran-GTPase, Ran-GTPase Activating Protein 1 (RanGAP1) and Ran Binding Protein 1 (RanBP1) to be overexpressed in human melanoma metastases. Crm1 inhibition, employing the highly specific Crm1 inhibitor Leptomycin B (LMB) induced a dramatic depletion of pro-survival/cytoplasmic Erk1/2 and p90RSK1 and mediated persistent Erk signaling hyperactivation. Consistently, Crm1 inhibition inflicted extensive apoptosis in melanoma cells while sparing immortalized melanocytes and primary lung fibroblasts. Apoptosis required both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and was associated with a nuclear entrapment and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Survivin. Apoptosis was preceded by a G1 cell-cycle arrest and even though Crm1 inhibition mediated dramatic p53 and p21 induction exclusively in wild-type p53 melanoma cells, latter's silencing or inactivation failed to alleviate ensuing apoptosis. Notably, Crm1 inhibition elicited cell line specific, G1 to S progression-retarding changes in the expression of multiple cell-cycle regulatory proteins (Cdk2, Cdk4, p27, p16 and p18) thus potentially explaining p53 dispensability. Based on our results, we propose Crm1 as a potential therapeutic target in human melanoma, whose inhibition initiates a multitude of cell context-dependent molecular events to trigger G1-arrest followed by massive apoptosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-77. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-77