Chromosomal Passenger Complex Research Articles

Targeting Survivin with YM155 As a Potential Therapy in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract 2490 Background:Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) remains the most common pediatric malignancy. Despite advances in treatment and outcomes, there continue to be subsets of patients that are refractory to standard intensive chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Therefore, novel gene targets for therapy are needed to further advance treatment for this disease. Survivin, a member of the chromosome passenger complex and inhibitor of apoptosis has been shown to be over-expressed in malignant cells and in relapsed ALL. Therefore, survivin may be a potential target for therapy in pediatric ALL. The selective survivin suppressant, YM155 (Astellas) has been shown to inhibit survivin expression and activate cell death in multiple cell lines. Early phase I studies show promise in both tolerability and possible efficacy in B-cell malignancies. Therefore, this drug may have the potential of improving treatment for pediatric B-cell precursor ALL. Design/methods:Pediatric lymphoblastic cell lines, fresh primary lymphoblast cells from newly diagnosed patients with ALL and xenografted patient samples were used in this study. Cells were incubated in the presence of YM155 at doses ranging from 1nM to 10μM. Viability was measured using a standard methane-thiosulfonate viability assay. Activation of apoptosis was identified using the Guava nexin Annexin V binding assay for cell lines. Results:Treatment of ALL cell lines, primary patient samples and xenograft samples show a dose-dependent sensitivity to YM155 by both activation of apoptosis and by cell viability. IC50 doses for the majority of the samples are in the low nanomolar range (Table). Interestingly, there is some variability amongst patient samples suggesting possible variable responses in vivo. Ectopic expression of survivin in cell lines treated with YM155 rescues the effect of the drug. Further, t(9;22) positive ALL samples, including primary patient, xenograft, and dasatinib resistant samples remain significantly sensitive to YM155. For dasatinib sensitive Ph+ALL samples, combination therapy suggest an additive effect by isobologram analysis.SampleMedian IC50 (nM) SEMnALL cell lines18.5 ± 1355Ph+ALL xenografts3.8 ± 1.045ALL samples48.18 ± 8219AML samples145.9 ± 30.55 Conclusion:Pediatric ALL samples remain sensitive to treatment with YM155 in cell lines, primary patient and xenografted samples. The results of these experiments will be used as a foundation to develop a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of survivin dependence in pediatric ALL. Future studies will also be designed to develop YM155 as an additional therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Disclosures:Druker:Cylene:; MolecularMD:; Novartis:; Bristol-Myers-Squibb:.

RanGTP is required for meiotic spindle organization and the initiation of embryonic development in Drosophila.

RanGTP is important for chromosome-dependent spindle assembly in Xenopus extracts. Here we report on experiments to determine the role of the Ran pathway on microtubule dynamics in Drosophila oocytes and embryos. Females expressing a dominant-negative form of Ran have fertility defects, suggesting that RanGTP is required for normal fertility. This is not, however, because of a defect in acentrosomal meiotic spindle assembly. Therefore, RanGTP does not appear to be essential or sufficient for the formation of the acentrosomal spindle. Instead, the most important function of the Ran pathway in spindle assembly appears to be in the tapering of microtubules at the spindle poles, which might be through regulation of proteins such as TACC and the HURP homolog, Mars. One consequence of this spindle organization defect is an increase in the nondisjunction of achiasmate chromosomes. However, the meiotic defects are not severe enough to cause the decreased fertility. Reductions in fertility occur because RanGTP has a role in microtubule assembly that is not directly nucleated by the chromosomes. This includes microtubules nucleated from the sperm aster, which are required for pronuclear fusion. We propose that following nuclear envelope breakdown, RanGTP is released from the nucleus and creates a cytoplasm that is activated for assembling microtubules, which is important for processes such as pronuclear fusion. Around the chromosomes, however, RanGTP might be redundant with other factors such as the chromosome passenger complex.

Spindle assembly checkpoint and its regulators in meiosis

BACKGROUND Meiosis is a unique form of cell division in which cells divide twice but DNA is duplicated only once. Errors in chromosome segregation during meiosis will result in aneuploidy, followed by loss of the conceptus during pregnancy or birth defects. During mitosis, cells utilize a mechanism called the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) to ensure faithful chromosome segregation. A similar mechanism has been uncovered for meiosis in the last decade, especially in the past several years. METHODS For this review, we included data and relevant information obtained through a PubMed database search for all articles published in English from 1991 through 2011 which included the term 'meiosis', 'spindle assembly checkpoint', or 'SAC'. RESULTS There are 91 studies included. Evidence for the existence of SAC functions in meiosis is provided by studies on the SAC proteins mitotic-arrest deficient-1 (Mad1), Mad2, budding uninhibited by benzimidazole-1 (Bub1), Bub3, BubR1 and Mps1; microtubule-kinetochore attachment regulators Ndc80 complex, chromosomal passenger complex, mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK), kinetochore null 1 (KNL1) and Mis12 complex and spindle stability regulators. CONCLUSIONS SAC and its regulators exist and function in meiosis, and their malfunctions may cause germ cell aneuploidy. However, species and sexual differences exist. Moreover, interaction of SAC components with other regulators is still poorly understood, which needs further study.

Structural Basis for the Recognition of Phosphorylated Histone H3 by the Survivin Subunit of the Chromosomal Passenger Complex

Localization of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) at centromeres during early mitosis is essential for accurate chromosome segregation and is dependent on the phosphorylation of histone H3. We report the 2.7 Å resolution structure of the CPC subunit Survivin bound to the N-terminal tail of histone H3 carrying the Thr3 phosphorylation mark (Thr3ph). The BIR domain of Survivin recognizes the Ala1-Arg2-Thr3ph-Lys4 sequence, decoding the modification state and the free N terminus of histone H3 by a strategy similar to that used by PHD fingers. The structural analysis permitted the identification of putative Survivin-binding epitopes in other mitotic proteins, including human Shugoshin 1. Using biophysical and structural data, we show that a phospho-mimic N-terminal sequence such as that of hSgo1 (Ala1-Lys2-Glu3-Arg4) contains the specificity determinants to bind Survivin. Our findings suggest that the CPC engages in mutually exclusive interactions with other constituents of the mitotic machinery and a histone mark in chromatin.

Phosphorylation at serine 331 is required for Aurora B activation

Aurora B kinase activity is required for successful cell division. In this paper, we show that Aurora B is phosphorylated at serine 331 (Ser331) during mitosis and that phosphorylated Aurora B localizes to kinetochores in prometaphase cells. Chk1 kinase is essential for Ser331 phosphorylation during unperturbed prometaphase or during spindle disruption by taxol but not nocodazole. Phosphorylation at Ser331 is required for optimal phosphorylation of INCENP at TSS residues, for Survivin association with the chromosomal passenger complex, and for complete Aurora B activation, but it is dispensable for Aurora B localization to centromeres, for autophosphorylation at threonine 232, and for association with INCENP. Overexpression of Aurora B(S331A), in which Ser331 is mutated to alanine, results in spontaneous chromosome missegregation, cell multinucleation, unstable binding of BubR1 to kinetochores, and impaired mitotic delay in the presence of taxol. We propose that Chk1 phosphorylates Aurora B at Ser331 to fully induce Aurora B kinase activity. These results indicate that phosphorylation at Ser331 is an essential mechanism for Aurora B activation.

Targeting survivin and p53 in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Despite advances in treatment and outcomes for patients with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), there continue to be subsets of patients who are refractory to standard chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Therefore, novel gene targets for therapy are needed to further advance treatment for this disease. RNA interference technology has identified survivin as a potential therapeutic target. Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins and chromosome passenger complex, is expressed in hematologic malignancies and overexpressed in relapsed pediatric ALL. Our studies show that survivin is uniformly expressed at high levels in multiple pediatric ALL cell lines. Furthermore, silencing of survivin expression in pediatric ALL cell lines as well as primary leukemic blasts reduces viability of these cells. This includes cell lines derived from patients with relapsed disease featuring cytogenetic anomalies such as t(12;21), Philadelphia chromosome t(9;22), t(1;19) as well as a cell line carrying t(17;19) from a patient with de novo ALL. Furthermore, inhibition of survivin increases p53-dependent apoptosis that can be rescued by inhibition of p53. Finally, a screen of randomly selected primary patient samples confirms that survivin-specific small interfering RNA and survivin-targeted drug, YM155, effectively reduce viability of leukemic blasts.

Examining the dynamics of chromosomal passenger complex (CPC)-dependent phosphorylation during cell division

The dynamic cellular reorganization needed for successful mitosis requires regulatory cues that vary across microns. The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is a conserved regulator involved in key mitotic events such as chromosome-microtubule attachment and spindle midzone formation. Recently, spatial phosphorylation gradients have been reported for CPC substrates, raising the possibility that CPC-dependent signaling establishes order on the micron-length scale in dividing cells. However, this hypothesis has not been tested, largely because of incomplete characterization of the CPC-dependent phosphorylation dynamics. Without these data it is difficult to evaluate perturbations of CPC signaling and select one that alters the spatial organization of substrate phosphorylation at a particular stage of mitosis, without changing overall phosphorylation levels. Here we examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of CPC-dependent phosphorylation along microtubules throughout mitosis using a Förster resonance energy transfer-based sensor. We find that a CPC substrate phosphorylation gradient, with highest phosphorylation levels between the two spindle poles, emerges when a cell enters mitosis. Interestingly, this gradient becomes undetectable at metaphase, but can be revealed by partially suppressing CPC activity, suggesting that high substrate phosphorylation levels can mask persistent CPC-dependent spatial patterning. After anaphase onset, the gradient emerges and persists until cell cleavage. Selective mislocalization of the CPC during anaphase suppresses gradient formation, but overall substrate phosphorylation levels remain unchanged. Under these conditions, the spindle midzone fails to organize and function properly. Our findings suggest a model in which the CPC establishes phosphorylation gradients to coordinate the spatiotemporal dynamics needed for error-free cell division.

The Cdc45·Mcm2–7·GINS Protein Complex in Trypanosomes Regulates DNA Replication and Interacts with Two Orc1-like Proteins in the Origin Recognition Complex

Accurate DNA replication requires a complex interplay of many regulatory proteins at replication origins. The CMG (Cdc45·Mcm2-7·GINS) complex, which is composed of Cdc45, Mcm2-7, and the GINS (Go-Ichi-Ni-San) complex consisting of Sld5 and Psf1 to Psf3, is recruited by Cdc6 and Cdt1 onto origins bound by the heterohexameric origin recognition complex (ORC) and functions as a replicative helicase. Trypanosoma brucei, an early branched microbial eukaryote, appears to express an archaea-like ORC consisting of a single Orc1/Cdc6-like protein. However, unlike archaea, trypanosomes possess components of the eukaryote-like CMG complex, but whether they form an active helicase complex, associate with the ORC, and regulate DNA replication remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the CMG complex is formed in vivo in trypanosomes and that Mcm2-7 helicase activity is activated by the association with Cdc45 and the GINS complex in vitro. Mcm2-7 and GINS proteins are confined to the nucleus throughout the cell cycle, whereas Cdc45 is exported out of the nucleus after DNA replication, indicating that nuclear exclusion of Cdc45 constitutes one mechanism for preventing DNA re-replication in trypanosomes. With the exception of Mcm4, Mcm6, and Psf1, knockdown of individual CMG genes inhibits DNA replication and cell proliferation. Finally, we identified a novel Orc1-like protein, Orc1b, as an additional component of the ORC and showed that both Orc1b and Orc1/Cdc6 associate with Mcm2-7 via interactions with Mcm3. All together, we identified the Cdc45·Mcm2-7·GINS complex as the replicative helicase that interacts with two Orc1-like proteins in the unusual origin recognition complex in trypanosomes.

Role of Survivin in cytokinesis revealed by a separation-of-function allele

The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), containing Aurora B kinase, Inner Centromere Protein, Survivin, and Borealin, regulates chromosome condensation and interaction between kinetochores and microtubules at metaphase, then relocalizes to midzone microtubules at anaphase and regulates central spindle organization and cytokinesis. However, the precise role(s) played by the CPC in anaphase have been obscured by its prior functions in metaphase. Here we identify a missense allele of Drosophila Survivin that allows CPC localization and function during metaphase but not cytokinesis. Analysis of mutant cells showed that Survivin is essential to target the CPC and the mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 orthologue Pavarotti (Pav) to the central spindle and equatorial cell cortex during anaphase in both larval neuroblasts and spermatocytes. Survivin also enabled localization of Polo kinase and Rho at the equatorial cortex in spermatocytes, critical for contractile ring assembly. In neuroblasts, in contrast, Survivin function was not required for localization of Rho, Polo, or Myosin II to a broad equatorial cortical band but was required for Myosin II to transition to a compact, fully constricted ring. Analysis of this "separation-of-function" allele demonstrates the direct role of Survivin and the CPC in cytokinesis and highlights striking differences in regulation of cytokinesis in different cell systems.

Knockdown of survivin (BIRC5) causes apoptosis in neuroblastoma via mitotic catastrophe

BIRC5 (survivin) is one of the genes located on chromosome arm 17q in the region that is often gained in neuroblastoma. BIRC5 is a protein in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway that interacts with XIAP and DIABLO leading to caspase-3 and caspase-9 inactivation. BIRC5 is also involved in stabilizing the microtubule-kinetochore dynamics. Based on the Affymetrix mRNA expression data, we here show that BIRC5 expression is strongly upregulated in neuroblastoma compared with normal tissues, adult malignancies, and non-malignant fetal adrenal neuroblasts. The over-expression of BIRC5 correlates with an unfavorable prognosis independent of the presence of 17q gain. Silencing of BIRC5 in neuroblastoma cell lines by various antisense molecules resulted in massive apoptosis as measured by PARP cleavage and FACS analysis. As both the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and the chromosomal passenger complex can be therapeutically targeted, we investigated in which of them BIRC5 exerted its essential anti-apoptotic role. Immunofluorescence analysis of neuroblastoma cells after BIRC5 silencing showed formation of multinucleated cells indicating mitotic catastrophe, which leads to apoptosis via P53 and CASP2. We show that BIRC5 silencing indeed resulted in activation of P53 and we could rescue apoptosis by CASP2 inhibition. We conclude that BIRC5 stabilizes the microtubules in the chromosomal passenger complex in neuroblastoma and that the apoptotic response results from mitotic catastrophe, which makes BIRC5 an interesting target for therapy.

Actin regulation during abscission: unexpected roles of Rab35 and endocytic transport

Actin regulation during abscission: unexpected roles of Rab35 and endocytic transport

Structure, localizations and functions of chromosomal passengerStructure, localizations and functions of chromosomal passenger complex

Chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is mainly composed of a protein kinase Aurora B, inner centromere protein, Survivin, and Borealin. As in different periods of cell division, CPC can localise correctly to relavent destinations in time and interact on its different substrates in the mitotic cell. CPC modulats phosphorylation of histone H3 in chromatin aggregation and controlls cohesion or segregation of sister chromatids. It is involved in assembly of a mitotic spindle and its chromosomes catched. Moreover, CPC corrects attachment errors between kinetochore and microtuble and gives faithfuly chromosomal segregation and promoting cytokinesis. Here, the structure compenants, localization on chromosomal arms, inner centromere and central spindle, and functions in defferent posisions of CPC were briefly descriped.

Ipl1/Aurora-dependent phosphorylation of Sli15/INCENP regulates CPC–spindle interaction to ensure proper microtubule dynamics

Dynamic microtubules facilitate chromosome arrangement before anaphase, whereas during anaphase microtubule stability assists chromosome separation. Changes in microtubule dynamics at the metaphase-anaphase transition are regulated by Cdk1. Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of Sli15/INCENP promotes preanaphase microtubule dynamics by preventing chromosomal passenger complex (CPC; Sli15/INCENP, Bir1/Survivin, Nbl1/Borealin, Ipl1/Aurora) association with spindles. However, whether Cdk1 has sole control over microtubule dynamics, and how CPC-microtubule association influences microtubule behavior, are unclear. Here, we show that Ipl1/Aurora-dependent phosphorylation of Sli15/INCENP modulates microtubule dynamics by preventing CPC binding to the preanaphase spindle and to the central spindle until late anaphase, facilitating spatiotemporal control of microtubule dynamics required for proper metaphase centromere positioning and anaphase spindle elongation. Decreased Ipl1-dependent Sli15 phosphorylation drives direct CPC binding to microtubules, revealing how the CPC influences microtubule dynamics. We propose that Cdk1 and Ipl1/Aurora cooperatively modulate microtubule dynamics and that Ipl1/Aurora-dependent phosphorylation of Sli15 controls spindle function by excluding the CPC from spindle regions engaged in microtubule polymerization.

Genetic disruption of aurora B uncovers an essential role for aurora C during early mammalian development

Mitosis is controlled by multiple kinases that drive cell cycle progression and prevent chromosome mis-segregation. Aurora kinase B interacts with survivin, borealin and incenp to form the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), which is involved in the regulation of microtubule-kinetochore attachments and cytokinesis. Whereas genetic ablation of survivin, borealin or incenp results in early lethality at the morula stage, we show here that aurora B is dispensable for CPC function during early cell divisions and aurora B-null embryos are normally implanted. This is due to a crucial function of aurora C during these early embryonic cycles. Expression of aurora C decreases during late blastocyst stages resulting in post-implantation defects in aurora B-null embryos. These defects correlate with abundant prometaphase figures and apoptotic cell death of the aurora B-deficient inner cell mass. Conditional deletion of aurora B in somatic cells that do not express aurora C results in chromosomal misalignment and lack of chromosome segregation. Re-expression of wild-type, but not kinase-dead, aurora C rescues this defect, suggesting functional overlap between these two kinases. Finally, aurora B-null cells partially arrest in the presence of nocodazole, suggesting that this kinase is not essential for the spindle assembly checkpoint.

A Positive Feedback Loop Involving Haspin and Aurora B Promotes CPC Accumulation at Centromeres in Mitosis

Haspin phosphorylates histone H3 at Thr3 (H3T3ph) during mitosis [1, 2], providing a chromatin binding site for the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) at centromeres to regulate chromosome segregation [3-5]. H3T3ph becomes increasingly focused at inner centromeres during prometaphase [1, 2], but little is known about how its level or location and the consequent chromosomal localization of the CPC are regulated. In addition, CPC binding to shugoshin proteins contributes to centromeric Aurora B localization [5, 6]. Recruitment of the shugoshins to centromeres requires the phosphorylation of histone H2A at Thr120 (H2AT120ph) by the kinetochore kinase Bub1 [7], but the molecular basis for the collaboration of this pathway with H3T3ph has been unclear. Here, we show that Aurora B phosphorylates Haspin to promote generation of H3T3ph and that Aurora B kinase activity is required for normal chromosomal localization of the CPC, indicating an intimate linkage between Aurora B and Haspin functions in mitosis. We propose that Aurora B activity triggers a CPC-Haspin-H3T3ph feedback loop that promotes generation of H3T3ph on chromatin. We also provide evidence that the Bub1-shugoshin-CPC pathway supplies a signal that boosts the CPC-Haspin-H3T3ph feedback loop specifically at centromeres to produce the well-known accumulation of the CPC in these regions.

Spindle Checkpoint Silencing Requires Association of PP1 to Both Spc7 and Kinesin-8 Motors

The spindle checkpoint is the prime cell-cycle control mechanism that ensures sister chromatids are bioriented before anaphase takes place. Aurora B kinase, the catalytic subunit of the chromosome passenger complex, both destabilizes kinetochore attachments that do not generate tension and simultaneously maintains the spindle checkpoint signal. However, it is unclear how the checkpoint is silenced following chromosome biorientation. We demonstrate that association of type 1 phosphatase (PP1(Dis2)) with both the N terminus of Spc7 and the nonmotor domains of the Klp5-Klp6 (kinesin-8) complex is necessary to counteract Aurora B kinase to efficiently silence the spindle checkpoint. The role of Klp5 and Klp6 in checkpoint silencing is specific to this class of kinesin and independent of their motor activities. These data demonstrate that at least two distinct pools of PP1, one kinetochore associated and the other motor associated, are needed to silence the spindle checkpoint.

Genetic disruption of aurora B uncovers an essential role for aurora C during early mammalian development

Mitosis is controlled by multiple kinases that drive cell cycle progression and prevent chromosome mis-segregation. Aurora kinase B interacts with survivin, borealin and incenp to form the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), which is involved in the regulation of microtubule-kinetochore attachments and cytokinesis. Whereas genetic ablation of survivin, borealin or incenp results in early lethality at the morula stage, we show here that aurora B is dispensable for CPC function during early cell divisions and aurora B-null embryos are normally implanted. This is due to a crucial function of aurora C during these early embryonic cycles. Expression of aurora C decreases during late blastocyst stages resulting in post-implantation defects in aurora B-null embryos. These defects correlate with abundant prometaphase figures and apoptotic cell death of the aurora B-deficient inner cell mass. Conditional deletion of aurora B in somatic cells that do not express aurora C results in chromosomal misalignment and lack of chromosome segregation. Re-expression of wild-type, but not kinase-dead, aurora C rescues this defect, suggesting functional overlap between these two kinases. Finally, aurora B-null cells partially arrest in the presence of nocodazole, suggesting that this kinase is not essential for the spindle assembly checkpoint.

Chromosome ‘by-Aurora-ientation’ during mitosis

New evidence from three separate laboratories, published recently in Science, has shown that centromere positioning of the CPC (chromosomal passenger complex) during early mitosis is achieved through direct interaction between the CPP (chromosomal passenger protein) survivin and histone H3. In essence, an acidic pocket in the BIR (baculovirus inhibitor of apoptosis repeat) domain of survivin binds to the NH2 tail of histone H3 specifically when it is phosphorylated at threonine 3, a mark that is placed by the mitotic kinase, haspin. These data are significant, as they describe a fundamental mechanism, conserved throughout eukaryotes, which is essential for chromosome biorientation and the maintenance of genome stability during mitosis.

Abstract 2984: A novel role for survivin, a potential target for cancer drugs, in vesicle trafficking

Abstract Survivin is a 16.5 kD protein that is highly expressed in most cancer cells. Although it is also expressed in embryonic tissues and proliferating adult cells, it may be a promising target for cancer therapy if it has distinct functions in normal versus malignant cells. It is well established that survivin has an essential role in dividing cells as a member of the chromosome passenger complex (CPC). We recently showed that survivin is highly expressed in orthochromatic erythroblasts, cells that have exited the cell cycle and undergoing enucleation. Based on this observation, we predicted that survivin would play a novel role in maturation of these late erythroblasts. To discover the function of survivin in these post-mitotic cells, we first analyzed the localization of survivin and other members of the CPC by immunofluorescence. We discovered that survivin is expressed in cytoplasm, but did not colocalize with aurora B kinase or INCENP in primary enucleating erythroblasts. Next, we overexpressed survivin in the murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cell line, which undergoes terminal differentiation but does not enucleate, and quantified the effect on maturation by flow cytometry. In contrast to control MEL cells, which down-regulate survivin and fail to enucleate, nearly 15% of the survivin overexpressing cells showed nuclear extrusion. To obtain insight into this novel effect of survivin, we purified survivin protein complexes from MEL cell lysates and performed mass spectrometry. We found that EPS-15 (EGFR pathway substrate clone 15) and clathrin, two proteins that are involved in endocytic vesicle trafficking, interact with survivin. We confirmed these interactions by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence studies in primary human erythroblasts. Next, we individually knocked down survivin and EPS-15 in primary human erythroblast cultures and demonstrated that both proteins are required for optimal enucleation. Moreover, deletion of the survivin gene in fetal liver erythroblasts isolated from survivin floxed embryos, reduced the enucleation efficiency without affecting cell survival or differentiation. In order to determine how survivin and EPS15 contribute to enucleation, we performed light microscopic and ultrastructural examination of primary murine red cells undergoing terminal maturation. We observed that loss of survivin was associated with a decrease in the number of large cellular vacuoles within erythroblasts. Furthermore, by immunogold-EM, we found that survivin co-localized with EPS-15 within LAMP1-positive vacuoles in late erythroblasts. Finally, we observed that vacuolin-1, a small molecule that increases the number and size of vacuoles, rescued the enucleation defect of survivin-/- erythroblasts. Together, these results suggest that survivin plays an important and novel role in vesicle trafficking within maturing red blood cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2984. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2984

Abstract 951: Loss-of-function screening identifies therapeutic targets for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Abstract Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are characterized by the absence of estrogen/progesterone receptors and HER2 gene amplifications. Patients with TNBC have a poor prognosis and cannot be effectively treated with current targeted therapies. Our overall goal is to identify signaling targets and pathways involved in TNBC tumor cell viability and to use our findings to inform clinical trial design to target these pathways. To accomplish this we selected a subset of 220 genes spanning diverse signaling and growth pathways from a large panel of TNBC tumors (n=386). The genes were identified as being differentially overexpressed from an integrated analysis of gene expression and CGH array datasets or were selected because they contained relevant somatic oncogenic mutations. We performed a loss-of-function RNA interference (RNAi) screen on this gene set to identify genes/pathways that modulate TNBC cell viability. We screened 25 TNBC cell lines and scored (z-score) the effect that siRNAs (four per gene) had on cell viability. For potential therapeutic benefit, three independent primary human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) cultures were screened to compare the effects of siRNAs on ‘normal’ breast cells. siRNAs to a kinesin gene KIF11, and two genes involved in kinetochore-microtubule attachment, NDC80 and NUF2, significantly decreased cell viability (> 50%, z-scores -1.28). Other siRNAs from the screen that differentially targeted TNBC cells were genes involved in proliferation (BRAF, MAPK1, AKT3, KRAS), the chromosomal passenger complex (INCENP, AURKB), kinetochore assembly (CENPE, BUB3, BRD4), spindle-assembly checkpoint (AURKA, TPX2), centromere cohesion (ESPL1, RAD21), cytokinesis (KIF14, ANLN), apoptosis (BCL2L1, BIRC5) and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway (NDP, LRP5, DVL1, TCF7). In parallel, we tested therapeutic agents that targeted several of these pathways found by our RNAi screens. Oncogene-addicted cell lines containing KRAS mutations (MDA-MB-231 and SW527) and BRAF mutations (DU4475) were more sensitive to siRNAs targeting KRAS or BRAF (sum of z-score < -7) and to the MEK inhibitor AZD6244 (IC50 1 µM). Likewise, cell lines that had the highest levels of BCL2L1 mRNA (CAL120, MDA-MB-231, HCC1143, HCC1937) were the most sensitive to siRNAs and to the BCL2 inhibitor ABT-737 (IC50 < 3 µM). TNBC cell lines that have a mesenchymal-like phenotype (HS578T, BT549, MDA-MB-157, and CAL51) were more sensitive to targeting the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway by siRNAs, a neutralizing antibody to the LRP5 receptor, or to a compound that activates casein kinase I, a regulator of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. These data demonstrate that the combination of genomic information along with functional genetic RNAi screening can be a powerful approach to identify novel targets and personalize therapeutic strategies for TNBC patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 951. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-951