Ras-MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway Research Articles

Further Evidence for the Implication of LZTR1, a Gene not Associated with the Ras-Mapk Pathway, in the Pathogenesis of Noonan Syndrome

Background: Noonan Syndrome (NS) is a relatively common autosomal dominant condition, caused by germline mutations in different genes involved in the RAS MAP Kinase signaling pathway. Although clinically heterogeneous, characteristic findings include typical facial features, short stature, chest deformity and congenital heart diseases. Methods: Here, we present the clinical and molecular characterization of a Tunisian patient with NS. A comprehensive mutations analysis of 29 genes belonging to the RAS pathway or encoding for interactors was performed, using targeted next generation sequencing. Results: The results revealed a novel pathogenic substitution affecting the LZTR1, whose mutations have been described only in 5 cases of NS. Conclusion: This report supports the implication of LZTR1 in Noonan syndrome. Next Generation Sequencing seems a suitable method for mutation detection in clinically and genetically heterogeneous syndromes such as NS.

Abstract 768: A kinome-wide siRNA screen identifies modifiers of sensitivity to the EGFR T790M-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), AZD9291, in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract New epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that are targeted against EGFR T790M, such as AZD9291, are among the most promising agents for the treatment of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomas, as they can overcome a key mechanism of acquired resistance to first or second generation EGFR-TKIs. Emerging clinical data indicate that these drugs achieve partial responses in ∼60% of patients and demonstrate variable duration of benefit (Yang J et al. Ann Oncol 2014;25 (suppl 4): iv149). However, most responding patients are expected to develop eventually progressive disease. Mechanisms of resistance for this class of mutant specific EGFR TKIs are only beginning to be elucidated. To identify modifiers of sensitivity to AZD9291 in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma, we performed a kinome-wide short-interfering (si) RNA screen using clonal PC-9/BRc1 (EGFR exon19 deletion/T790M) cells and siRNA triplicates directed against 714 phylogenetically-related kinases (GE Dharmacon). The cells were derived from PC-9 cells chronically exposed to afatinib (Chmielecki J et al. Sci Transl Med. 2011;3:90ra59). The screen was performed in the absence and presence of AZD9291 (5 nM). Among the top 20 hits, siRNAs against the serine threonine kinases, MAPK1 (ERK2) and BRAF, sensitized cells to AZD9291. Both genes encode products involved in the RAS-MAP kinase signaling pathway. Confirming the significance of these hits, combinations of AZD9291 and the MEK inhibitor, selumetinib, were more effective at inhibiting cell growth than AZD9291 alone. Consistent with these findings, we found that ERK1/2 is readily dephosphorylated upon exposure to AZD929, however, ERK1/2 becomes re-phosphorylated after continuous exposure to AZD9291 for 96 hours. These data suggest that reactivation of ERK signaling may provide an early escape mechanism mediating drug resistance. ERK reactivation after AZD9291 treatment and stronger growth inhibition by AZD9291 + selumetinib combination therapy were also seen in multiple other EGFR mutant lines. The SRC kinase is known to activate RAS-MAP kinase pathway signaling, and pharmacologic or genetic ablation of SRC partially inhibited ERK reactivation, suggesting that SRC is involved in this escape mechanism. In conclusion, through a kinome wide siRNA screen, we identified that gene products in the MAP kinase signaling pathway modify sensitivity to AZD9291. Such sensitivity may be associated with ERK re-phosphorylation within 96h of drug treatment. Collectively, these data suggest rational drug combinations that could be used to forestall resistance to AZD9291. Additional hits from the screen are currently under investigation. This study is supported by AstraZeneca Oncology Innovative Medicines, National Institutes of Health (NIH) NCI grants R01-CA121210, P01-CA129243, U54-CA143798, and the Uehara Memorial Foundation. Citation Format: Eiki Ichihara, Joshua A. Bauer, Pengcheng Lu, Fei Ye, Darren Cross, William Pao, Christine M. Lovly. A kinome-wide siRNA screen identifies modifiers of sensitivity to the EGFR T790M-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), AZD9291, in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 768. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-768

Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC-1) is required for olfactory sensing in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway plays important roles for the olfactory reception in olfactory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, given the absence of phosphorylation targets of MAPK in the olfactory neurons, the mechanism by which this pathway regulates olfactory function is unknown. Here, we used proteomic screening to identify the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel VDAC-1 as a candidate target molecule of MAPK in the olfactory system of C.elegans. We found that Amphid Wing "C" (AWC) olfactory neuron-specific knockdown of vdac-1 caused severe defects in chemotaxis toward AWC-sensed odorants. We generated a new vdac-1 mutant using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, with this mutant also showing decreased chemotaxis toward odorants. This defect was rescued by AWC-specific expression of vdac-1, indicating that functions of VDAC-1 in AWC neurons are essential for normal olfactory reception in C.elegans. We observed that AWC-specific RNAi of vdac-1 reduced AWC calcium responses to odorant stimuli and caused a decrease in the quantity of mitochondria in the sensory cilia. Behavioral abnormalities in vdac-1 knockdown animals might therefore be due to reduction of AWC response, which might be caused by loss of mitochondria in the cilia. Here, we showed that the function of VDAC-1 is regulated by phosphorylation and identified Thr175 as the potential phosphorylation site of MAP kinase.

A phase 1 study of AZD6244 in children with recurrent or refractory low-grade gliomas: A Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium report.

10065 Background: Pathway activating genetic aberrations of the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway have been observed in pediatric low grade glioma (LGG), most commonly a fusion gene, BRAF-KIAA1549 o...

Histone deacetylase inhibitor FK228 suppresses the Ras–MAP kinase signaling pathway by upregulating Rap1 and induces apoptosis in malignant melanoma

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are expected to be effective for refractory cancer because their mechanism of action differs from that of conventional antineoplastic agents. In this study, we examined the effect of the HDAC inhibitor FK228 on malignant melanoma, as well as its molecular mechanisms. FK228 was highly effective against melanoma compared with other commonly used drugs. By comparing the gene expression profiles of melanoma cells and normal melanocytes, we defined a subset of genes specifically upregulated in melanoma cells by FK228, which included Rap1, a small GTP-binding protein of the Ras family. The expression of Rap1 mRNA and protein increased in FK228-treated melanoma cells in both a dose- and a time-dependent manner. A decrease in the phosphorylation of c-Raf, MEK1/2, and ERK1/2 was accompanied by an increase in Rap1 expression in both FK228-treated and Rap1-overexpressing cells. Inhibition of Rap1 upregulation by small interfering RNA (siRNA) abrogated the induction of apoptosis and suppression of ERK1/2 phosphorylation in FK228-treated melanoma cells. These results indicate that the cytotoxic effects of FK228 are mediated via the upregulation of Rap1. Furthermore, we found that Rap1 was overexpressed and formed a complex with B-Raf in melanoma cell lines with a V599E mutation of B-Raf. The siRNA-mediated abrogation of Rap1 overexpression increased the viability of these cells, suggesting that Rap1 is also an endogenous regulator of Ras-MAP kinase signaling in melanomas.

Molecular biology of the Ets family of transcription factors.

The Ets family of transcription factors characterized by an evolutionarily-conserved DNA-binding domain regulates expression of a variety of viral and cellular genes by binding to a purine-rich GGAA/T core sequence in cooperation with other transcriptional factors and co-factors. Most Ets family proteins are nuclear targets for activation of Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway and some of them affect proliferation of cells by regulating the immediate early response genes and other growth-related genes. Some of them also regulate apoptosis-related genes. Several Ets family proteins are preferentially expressed in specific cell lineages and are involved in their development and differentiation by increasing the enhancer or promoter activities of the genes encoding growth factor receptors and integrin families specific for the cell lineages. Many Ets family proteins also modulate gene expression through protein-protein interactions with other cellular partners. Deregulated expression or formation of chimeric fusion proteins of Ets family due to proviral insertion or chromosome translocation is associated with leukemias and specific types of solid tumors. Several Ets family proteins also participate in malignancy of tumor cells including invasion and metastasis by activating the transcription of several protease genes and angiogenesis-related genes.

Genetic analysis of ETS genes in C. elegans

The recent completion of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome has revealed that this nematode worm has 10 members of the ETS gene family. Isolation and analysis of C. elegans mutants and subsequent screens to identify interacting genes can proceed very quickly in this model organism. Molecular genetic analysis of the receptor tyrosine kinase-Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway in C. elegans identified the ETS family transcription factor Lin-1 as a nuclear effector of this evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathway. Here we review classical genetic approaches used to discover the role of Lin-1 in the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway and describe new technologies that can be applied to the analyses of signaling pathways and transcription factor regulatory networks in C. elegans.

Actinomycin D as a novel SH2 domain ligand inhibits Shc/Grb2 interaction in B104-1-1 ( neu*-transformed NIH3T3) and SAA (hEGFR-overexpressed NIH3T3) cells

Actinomycins, a family of bicyclic chromopeptide lactones with strong antineoplastic activity, were screened as inhibitors of Shc/Grb2 interaction in in vitro assay systems. To investigate the effects of actinomycin D on Shc/Grb2 interaction in cell-based experiments, we used SAA (normal hEGFR-overexpressed NIH3T3) cells and B104-1-1 ( neu*-transformed NIH3T3) cells, because a large number of the Shc/Grb2 complexes were detected. Associated protein complexes containing Shc were immunoprecipitated from actinomycin D-treated cell lysates with polyclonal anti-Shc antibody. Then the association with Grb2 was assessed by immunoblotting with monoclonal anti-Grb2 antibody. The result of the immunoblotting experiment revealed that actinomycin D inhibited Shc/Grb2 interaction in a dose-dependent manner in both B104-1-1 and EGF-stimulated SAA cells. The inhibition of Shc/Grb2 interaction by actinomycin D in B104-1-1 cells also reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase (Erk1/Erk2), one of the major components in the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway. These results suggest that actinomycin D could be a non-phosphorylated natural and cellular membrane-permeable SH2 domain antagonist.

Interaction between Drosophila EGF receptor and vnd determines three dorsoventral domains of the neuroectoderm.

Neurogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster starts by an ordered appearance of neuroblasts arranged in three columns (medial, intermediate and lateral) in each side of the neuroectoderm. Here we show that, in the intermediate column, the receptor tyrosine kinase DER represses expression of proneural genes, achaete and scute, and is required for the formation of neuroblasts. Most of the early function of DER is likely to be mediated by the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway, which is activated in the intermediate column, since a loss of a component of this pathway leads to a phenotype identical to that in DER mutants. MAP-kinase activation was also observed in the medial column where esg and proneural gene expression is unaffected by DER. We found that the homeobox gene vnd is required for the expression of esg and scute in the medial column, and show that vnd acts through the negative regulatory region of the esg enhancer that mediates the DER signal, suggesting the role of vnd is to counteract DER-dependent repression. Thus nested expression of vnd and the DER activator rhomboid is crucial to subdivide the neuroectoderm into the three dorsoventral domains.

The kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR) modulates growth factor and Ras signaling by uncoupling Elk-1 phosphorylation from MAP kinase activation.

The Ras GTPase plays an essential role in many cellular signal transduction events. Activation of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase is a primary consequence of Ras activation and plays a key role in mediating Ras signal transduction. A novel kinase, KSR, has recently been functionally isolated as a positive regulator of Ras signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans vulval induction and Drosophila photoreceptor differentiation. We have examined the effect of KSR on growth factor and Ras-induced MAP kinase signaling in mammalian cells. Surprisingly, we observed that KSR specifically blocks EGF and Ras-induced phosphorylation and activation of ternary complex factors (TCF), physiological substrates of MAP kinases, without affecting the activation of MAP kinase itself. A kinase-deficient mutant of KSR, KSR-RM, appears to function as a dominant interfering mutant which elevates phosphorylation of Elk-1, a member of the TCF family, and Elk-1-dependent transcription. The effect of KSR on Elk-1 was significantly decreased by inhibition of calcineurin, a putative Elk-1 phosphatase. These observations demonstrate that KSR is capable of uncoupling the MAP kinase activation from its target phosphorylation, and thus provide a novel mechanism for modulating the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway. This study provides the first evidence that signal output of MAP kinase cascades is subject to regulation at a level independent of MAP kinase activity.

Induction of Neurite Outgrowth in PC12 Cells by γ-Lactam-Related Compounds via Ras-MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway Independent Mechanism

Rat pheochromocytoma cells, PC12 cells, undergo differentiation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Although the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway has been shown to play a central role in the response to NGF, the precise mechanism which induces differentiation remains unclarified. Recently, several γ-lactam-related microbial products were identified to induce neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cells. Therefore, we synthesized a series of γ-lactam-related compounds and tested for their ability to induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. We found that two compounds, MT-19 and MT-20, induced neurite outgrowth at concentrations as low as 1 μg/ml. MT-19 and MT-20 have ann-hexadecyl group and ann-dodecyl group, respectively, at the position N-1 of the γ-lactam ring, and the modification of this group leads to partial or complete loss of activity. In addition, the modification of the methyl and hydroxyl group at C-5 leads to complete loss of activity, indicating a strict structure–activity relationship. Interestingly, MT-19 and MT-20 induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells which lack normal Ras function. Furthermore, these compounds did not induce MAP kinase activation, suggesting that MT-19 and MT-20 do not require the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway which is shown to be necessary and sufficient for NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. Consistent with this, none of the early- or late-response genes tested, which includefos, zif268, Nur77, vgf,and transin, was induced. However, the protein level of three neurofilaments was increased after the incubation with these compounds. Since the level of other cytoskeleton proteins including actin and tubulin remained constant, MT-19 and MT-20 specifically affected neurofilament synthesis and/or turnover. Taken together, these findings indicate that MT-19 and MT-20 induce neurite outgrowth by activating the downstream target of MAP kinase or by a novel mechanism which is distinct from the NGF-activated pathway.

The Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Genistein, Prevents α-Adrenergic-Induced Cardiac Muscle Cell Hypertrophy by Inhibiting Activation of the Ras-MAP Kinase Signaling Pathway

The α-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, has been widely used to induce hypertrophy in cultured ventricular myocytes from neonatal rats. We have investigated the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in this signaling pathway using the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein. We find that genistein treatment prevents phenylephrine-induced activation of three promoters (Fos, atrial natriuretic factor, ANF, and the myosin light chain 2, MLC-2), which are activated in the hypertrophic response. Genistein also inhibits phenylephrine-induced activation of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases Erk1 and Erk2 and inhibits GTP loading of the Ras protein. These data demonstrate that a genistein-sensitive step is critical for the activation of the Ras-MAP kinase pathway by phenylephrine and suggest that this pathway is important in the regulation of the hypertrophic response.