SH2 Domain-containing Proteins Research Articles

Ionizable networks mediate pH-dependent allostery in SH2 signaling proteins.

Transient intracellular pH dynamics 1 regulate mammalian proliferation 2,3 , migration 4 , and differentiation 5 . However, for many pH-dependent cell processes, the molecular mediators are unknown 6 . Prior work identified histidine residues as molecular switches in pH-sensitive proteins, but how other ionizable residues contribute to pH-dependent protein allostery is understudied. Here, we develop an in silico computational pipeline to identify putative pH-sensitive proteins and their molecular mechanisms. We first apply this pipeline to SHP2, a known pH-sensitive signaling protein with an uncharacterized molecular mechanism. We show wild-type SHP2 phosphatase activity is pH-sensitive in vitro and in cells, and mutation of identified H116 and E252 to non-titratable alanine residues abolishes pH-sensitive function. We also show that c-Src is a previously unrecognized pH-dependent kinase, and mutation of the identified ionizable network again abolishes pH-sensitive activity. Constant pH molecular dynamics simulations support a conserved allosteric mechanism of pH-dependent binding of inhibitory SH2 domains to the functional catalytic domains of SHP2 and c-Src. We apply our computational pipeline across SH2 domain-containing signaling proteins and identify evolutionarily conserved putative pH-sensing networks. Our results reveal that pH is an allosteric regulator of SH2 domain-containing signaling proteins providing insight into normal pH-dependent cell biology and diseases where pHi is dysregulated, such as cancer.

Regulation of RHOV signaling by interaction with SH3 domain-containing adaptor proteins and phosphorylation by PKA

RHOV and RHOU are considered atypical Rho-family small GTPases because of the existence of N- and C-terminal extension regions, abnormal GDP/GTP cycling, and post-translational modification. Particularly, RHOV and RHOU both have a proline-rich (PR) motif in the N-terminal region. It has been reported that the PR motif of RHOU interacts with GRB2, a SH3 domain-containing adaptor protein, and regulates its activity through EGF receptor signaling. However, it is unknown whether RHOV, like RHOU, interacts with SH3 domain-containing adaptor proteins. In this study, we investigated the interactions between RHOV and SH3 domain-containing adaptor proteins, including GRB2 and NCK2. The RHOV-induced serum response factor (SRF)-dependent gene transcriptional activity was attenuated in cells co-expressing either GRB2 or NCK2 compared to cells expressing RHOV alone. From the results of experiments using various gene mutants of RHOV and GRB2, it appears that the PR motif of the N-terminal region of RHOV is the crucial binding site for the SH3 domain-containing proteins. Furthermore, we found that Ser25 in the N-terminal region of RHOV is phosphorylated by PKA and that its phosphorylation is suppressed by interaction with NCK2 but not GRB2. We have found a novel regulatory mechanism for the phosphorylation of RHOV and its interaction with SH3 domain-containing adaptor proteins.

The Ubiquitin-Associated and SH3 Domain-Containing Proteins (UBASH3) Family in Mammalian Development and Immune Response.

UBASH3A and UBASH3B are protein families of atypical protein tyrosine phosphatases that function as regulators of various cellular processes during mammalian development. As UBASH3A has only mild phosphatase activity, its regulatory effects are based on the phosphatase-independent mechanisms. On the contrary, UBASH3B has strong phosphatase activity, and the suppression of its receptor signalling is mediated by Syk and Zap-70 kinases. The regulatory functions of UBASH3A and UBASH3B are particularly evident in the lymphoid tissues and kidney development. These tyrosine phosphatases are also known to play key roles in autoimmunity and neoplasms. However, their involvement in mammalian development and its regulatory functions are largely unknown and are discussed in this review.

Use of phosphotyrosine-containing peptides to target SH2 domains: Antagonist peptides of the Crk/CrkL-p130Cas axis.

Protein-protein interactions between SH2 domains and segments of proteins that include a post-translationally phosphorylated tyrosine residue (pY) underpin numerous signal transduction cascades that allow cells to respond to their environment. Dysregulation of the writing, erasing, and reading of these posttranslational modifications is a hallmark of human disease, notably cancer. Elucidating the precise role of the SH2 domain-containing adaptor proteins Crk and CrkL in tumor cell migration and invasion is challenging because there are no specific and potent antagonists available. Crk and CrkL SH2s interact with a region of the docking protein p130Cas containing 15 potential pY-containing tetrapeptide motifs. This chapter summarizes recent efforts toward peptide antagonists for this Crk/CrkL-p130Cas interaction. We describe our protocol for recombinant expression and purification of Crk and CrkL SH2s for functional assays and our procedure to determine the consensus binding motif from the p130Cas sequence. To develop a more potent antagonist, we employ methods often associated with structure-based drug design. Computational docking using Rosetta FlexPepDock, which accounts for peptides having a greater number of conformational degrees of freedom than small organic molecules that typically constitute libraries, provides quantitative docking metrics to prioritize candidate peptides for experimental testing. A battery of biophysical assays, including fluorescence polarization, differential scanning fluorimetry and saturation transfer difference nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, were employed to assess the candidates. In parallel, GST pulldown competition assays characterized protein-protein binding in vitro. Taken together, our methodology yields peptide antagonists of the Crk/CrkL-p130Cas axis that will be used to validate targets, assess druggability, foster in vitro assay development, and potentially serve as lead compounds for therapeutic intervention.

A high-throughput two-cell assay for interrogating inhibitory signaling pathways in T cells

The recent success of immunotherapies relying on manipulation of T-cell activation highlights the value of characterising the mediators of immune checkpoint signaling. CRISPR/Cas9 is a popular approach for interrogating signaling pathways; however, the lack of appropriate assays for studying inhibitory signaling in T cells is limiting the use of large-scale perturbation-based approaches. Here, we adapted an existing Jurkat cell-based transcriptional reporter assay to study both activatory and inhibitory (PD-1-mediated) T-cell signaling using CRISPR-based genome screening in arrayed and pooled formats. We targeted 64 SH2 domain-containing proteins expressed by Jurkat T cells in an arrayed screen, in which individual targets could be assessed independently, showing that arrays can be used to study mediators of both activatory and inhibitory signaling. Pooled screens succeeded in simultaneously identifying many of the known mediators of proximal activating and inhibitory T-cell signaling, including SHP2 and PD-1, confirming the utility of the method. Altogether, the data suggested that SHP2 is the major PD-1-specific, SH2 family mediator of inhibitory signaling. These approaches should allow the systematic analysis of signaling pathways in T cells.

Toxic effects of mutant huntingtin in axons are mediated by its proline-rich domain.

Huntington's disease results from expansion of a polyglutamine tract (polyQ) in mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein, but mechanisms underlying polyQ expansion-mediated toxic gain-of-mHTT function remain elusive. Here, deletion and antibody-based experiments revealed that a proline-rich domain (PRD) adjacent to the polyQ tract is necessary for mHTT to inhibit fast axonal transport and promote axonal pathology in cultured mammalian neurons. Further, polypeptides corresponding to subregions of the PRD sufficed to elicit the toxic effect on fast axonal transport, which was mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) and involved PRD binding to one or more SH3-domain containing proteins. Collectively, these data suggested a mechanism whereby polyQ tract expansion in mHTT promotes aberrant PRD exposure and interactions of this domain with SH3 domain-containing proteins including some involved in activation of JNKs. In support, biochemical and immunohistochemical experiments linked aberrant PRD exposure to increased JNK activation in striatal tissues of the zQ175 mouse model and from post-mortem Huntington's disease patients. Together, these findings support a critical role of PRD on mHTT toxicity, suggesting a novel framework for the potential development of therapies aimed to halt or reduce axonal pathology in Huntington's disease.

The Role of GAB1 in Cancer.

GRB2-associated binder 1 (GAB1) is the inaugural member of the GAB/DOS family of pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing proteins. Upon receiving various stimuli, GAB1 transitions from the cytoplasm to the membrane where it is phosphorylated by a range of kinases. This event recruits SH2 domain-containing proteins like SHP2, PI3K's p85 subunit, CRK, and others, thereby activating distinct signaling pathways, including MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and JNK. GAB1-deficient embryos succumb in utero, presenting with developmental abnormalities in the heart, placenta, liver, skin, limb, and diaphragm myocytes. Oncogenic mutations have been identified in the context of cancer. GAB1 expression levels are disrupted in various tumors, and elevated levels in patients often portend a worse prognosis in multiple cancer types. This review focuses on GAB1's influence on cellular transformation particularly in proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, metastasis, and angiogenesis-each of these processes being a cancer hallmark. GAB1 also modulates the resistance/sensitivity to antitumor therapies, making it a promising target for future anticancer strategies.

Exploration of T cell immune responses by expression of a dominant-negative SHP1 and SHP2.

SHP1 and SHP2 are SH2 domain-containing proteins which have inhibitory phosphatase activity when recruited to phosphorylated ITIMs and ITSMs on inhibitory immune receptors. Consequently, SHP1 and SHP2 are key proteins in the transmission of inhibitory signals within T cells, constituting an important point of convergence for diverse inhibitory receptors. Therefore, SHP1 and SHP2 inhibition may represent a strategy for preventing immunosuppression of T cells mediated by cancers hence improving immunotherapies directed against these malignancies. Both SHP1 and SHP2 contain dual SH2 domains responsible for localization to the endodomain of inhibitory receptors and a protein tyrosine phosphatase domain which dephosphorylates and thus inhibits key mediators of T cell activation. We explored the interaction of the isolated SH2 domains of SHP1 and SHP2 to inhibitory motifs from PD1 and identified strong binding of both SH2 domains from SHP2 and more moderate binding in the case of SHP1. We next explored whether a truncated form of SHP1/2 comprising only of SH2 domains (dSHP1/2) could act in a dominant negative fashion by preventing docking of the wild type proteins. When co-expressed with CARs we found that dSHP2 but not dSHP1 could alleviate immunosuppression mediated by PD1. We next explored the capacity of dSHP2 to bind with other inhibitory receptors and observed several potential interactions. In vivo we observed that the expression of PDL1 on tumor cells impaired the ability of CAR T cells to mediate tumor rejection and this effect was partially reversed by the co-expression of dSHP2 albeit at the cost of reduced CAR T cell proliferation. Modulation of SHP1 and SHP2 activity in engineered T cells through the expression of these truncated variants may enhance T cell activity and hence efficacy in the context of cancer immunotherapy.

Dissecting Selectivity Determinants of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of SH2 Domains Via Fluorescence Polarization Assays.

Fluorescence polarization (FP) assays can be used to identify small-molecule inhibitors that bind to SH2 domain-containing proteins. We have developed FP assays by which to identify inhibitors of the SH2 domains of the two closely-related transcription factors STAT5a and STAT5b. Point mutation of selected amino acids in the putative binding site of the protein is a valuable tool by which to gain insight into the molecular mechanism of binding. In this chapter, we describe the cloning and application of point mutant proteins in order to transfer the binding preference of selected SH2 domain-binding STAT5b inhibitors to STAT5a, with results that highlight the importance of considering a role for residues outside the SH2 domain in contributing to the binding interactions of SH2 domain inhibitors.

Engineering SHP2 Phosphatase for Optical Control.

Signal transduction pathways are responsible for maintaining cellular functions, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. These pathways are maintained through the propagation of phosphorylation signals by protein kinases, as well as the removal of phosphorylation signals by protein phosphatases. Depending on the context, post-translational modification could have either a positive or negative effect on a signaling pathway. Intricate networks of positive and negative regulators offer a challenging target for the dissection of cell signaling mechanisms, particularly regarding the more subtle dampening of signal transduction through phosphatases. We report the development of two complimentary methods for the optical control of a complex phosphatase: SH2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2). We investigated controlling the catalytic function of SHP2 through (1) site-specific incorporation of a caged tyrosine for light activation of catalytic activity for the control of an essential substrate binding residue and (2) site-specific incorporation of a caged lysine at a conserved residue within an allosteric pocket for the control of SHP2 binding partner docking sites. These methods are generalizable to proteins bearing either a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) catalytic domain or an SH2 domain, including SHP1, PTP family phosphatases, and a diverse range of SH2 domain-containing proteins.

Lawsonia intracellularis LI0666 is a new EPIYA effector exported by the Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion system

Lawsonia intracellularis is the causative agent of proliferative enteropathy. While it harbors genes encoding the entire apparatus required for the type III secretion system (T3SS) and the expression of some of these components has been detected during experimental infection, the identification of L. intracellularis T3SS substrates (effector proteins) has been hampered. The Yersinia T3SS and yeast growth inhibition assays are two important heterologous systems used for the characterization of effector proteins. Bacterial EPIYA effectors are a distinct class of bacterial effectors defined by the presence of EPIYA or the EPIYA-related motif. When delivered into host cells via a T3SS or type IV secretion system, these effectors undergo tyrosine phosphorylation of the EPIYA motif, which enables them to manipulate host cell signaling by promiscuously interacting with multiple SH2 domain-containing proteins. A previous study showed that L. intracellularis LI0666 contains two EPIYA motifs and speculated that this protein could be a T3SS effector. In this study, we show that LI0666 is secreted by Yersinia in a T3SS-dependent manner and inhibits yeast growth. LI0666 is phosphorylated at tyrosine residues in porcine intestinal epithelial cells and in human epithelial cells. Like the archetypal EPIYA effector CagA, the EPIYA-containing region is not required for LI0666 association with yeast and mammalian cell membranes. Our results indicate that LI0666 is an authentic bacterial EPIYA effector. Identification of the tyrosine kinases that are responsible for LI0666 phosphorylation and the SH2 domain-containing host proteins that LI0666 interacts with will help to explore the molecular mechanisms of LI0666 in disease development.

Mapping the Phospho-dependent ALK Interactome to Identify Novel Components in ALK Signaling

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) signaling. Systematic characterization of ALK interactors helps elucidate novel ALK signaling mechanisms and may aid in the identification of novel therapeutics targeting related diseases. In this study, we used the Mammalian Membrane Two-Hybrid (MaMTH) system to map the phospho-dependent ALK interactome. By screening a library of 86 SH2 domain-containing full length proteins, 30 novel ALK interactors were identified. Many of their interactions are correlated to ALK phosphorylation activity: oncogenic ALK mutations potentiate the interactions and ALK inhibitors attenuate the interactions. Among the novel interactors, NCK2 was further verified in neuroblastoma cells using co-immunoprecipitation. Modulation of ALK activity by addition of inhibitors lead to concomitant changes in the tyrosine phosphorylation status of NCK2 in neuroblastoma cells, strongly supporting the functionality of the ALK/NCK2 interaction. Our study provides a resource list of potential novel ALK signaling components for further study.

Noncanonical mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation of zinc finger SZF proteins counteracts ubiquitination for protein homeostasis in plant immunity

Protein ADP-ribosylation is a reversible post-translational modification that transfers ADP-ribose from NAD+ onto acceptor proteins. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolases (PARGs), which remove the modification, regulates diverse cellular processes. However, the chemistry and physiological functions of mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation (MARylation) remain elusive. Here, we report that Arabidopsis zinc finger proteins SZF1 and SZF2, key regulators of immune gene expression, are MARylated by the noncanonical ADP-ribosyltransferase SRO2. Immune elicitation promotes MARylation of SZF1/SZF2 via dissociation from PARG1, which has an unconventional activity in hydrolyzing both poly(ADP-ribose) and mono(ADP-ribose) from acceptor proteins. MARylation antagonizes polyubiquitination of SZF1 mediated by the SH3 domain-containing proteins SH3P1/SH3P2, thereby stabilizing SZF1 proteins. Our study uncovers a noncanonical ADP-ribosyltransferase mediating MARylation of immune regulators and underpins the molecular mechanism of maintaining protein homeostasis by the counter-regulation of ADP-ribosylation and polyubiquitination to ensure proper immune responses.

Abstract 2450: A systemic approach to decipher the interactome of RET receptor isoforms

Abstract The REarranged during Transfection (RET) receptor tyrosine kinase is pivotal for normal tissue development, but is also an oncogene driver involved in several human cancers. Alternative splicing at the 3' end of the RET gene leads to expression of two conserved protein isoforms, RET9 and RET51, that differ in their subcellular localization and protein trafficking, as well as their functional roles in tumorigenesis and metastatic processes. Importantly, RET9 and RET51 have unique C-terminal phospho-tyrosine binding sites, suggesting that they may also differ in their interactomes. We used a combination of cell-based screening and in silico approaches to identify novel potential interaction partners of RET isoforms. We performed a Mammalian Membrane Two-Hybrid (MaMTH) screen using a library of SH2 domain-containing adaptor and signaling proteins, to identify interactions with each RET isoform. We complemented these studies by using sequence homology detection models (HMM, PSSM), based on SH2 domain sequences known to interact with RET, to rank the SH2 library members and predict novel interactions. Independently, we compared published consensus binding sequences for each SH2 domain library member with predicted RET phosphotyrosine motifs to identify potential interactors. Predicted interactions were validated in co-immunoprecipitation assays. We confirmed previously known interactions of RET with SH2 domain proteins including SHC1, GRB2 and GRB10, and identified additional novel RET-binding proteins, a subset of which showed differential interactions that were mediated through RET isoform-specific docking sites. Our results suggest that combinations of distinct interaction partners may contribute to RET isoform-specific functions. Together, our research has developed a systematic approach to map and characterize RET isoform interactions. Our data suggest that no single method identified all confirmed RET interactions, and that a combination of multiple approaches improves characterization of growth factor receptor interactomes. Citation Format: Samira Kheitan, Annika E. Pedersen, Brandy D. Hyndman, Luka Drecun, Punit Saraon, Igor Stagliar, Lois M. Mulligan. A systemic approach to decipher the interactome of RET receptor isoforms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2450.

Positive regulation of TNFR1 signaling via SH3 recognition motif.

TNF is a pleiotropic cytokine and shows its biological function by binding to its receptors called TNFR1 and TNFR2. While TNFR1 induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 via the “death domain”, it also activates IKKα/β, MKK3/6, MKK4/7 by activation of TAK1. Although the TNFR1 signaling pathway is known by in large, it is not known how AKT and MAPKs p38, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2 are activated. The presence of a proline-rich PPAP region, (P448PAP451, a binding site for the SH3 domain-containing proteins) very close to the C-terminus promoted us to determine whether this region has any role in the TNFR1 signal transduction. To test this, the codons of P448 and P451 were changed to that of Alanin, GCG, via site-directed mutagenesis, and this plasmid was named as TNFR1-SH3-P/A. Subsequently, ectopically expressed the wild type TNFR1 and TNFR1-SH3-P/A in 293T cells and determined the levels of TNF-α-mediated phosphorylations of ERK, p38, JNK and AKT, NF-kB, and caspase-8 activation. While ectopic expression of our mutant diminished TNFα-mediated phosphorylations of p38, JNK, ERK and AKT, it increased NF-kB, and caspase-8 activations. In conclusion, TNFα-mediated ERK, AKT, JNK, p38 activations are affected by TNFR1 SH3 domain modifications.

The role of disabled-2 (Dab2) in diseases.

Disabled-2 (Dab2/DOC-2) is a mitogen-responsive adaptor protein required for multiple cellular functions. It is involved in many signaling pathways and plays an integral role in vesicular uptake and trafficking, modulating immune function, protein-protein interactions, cellular homeostasis and differentiation, oncogenesis, and inflammatory processes in organ systems. It contains domains for binding to NPXY motif-containing and SH3 domain-containing adapter proteins, phosphoinositides, glycoprotein 100 (gp100, or megalin), integrins, clathrin, and myosin VI. However, the molecular mechanism(s) of Dab2's biological function still remain to be elucidated. In this review, we provide an extensive up-to-date understanding of the function of Dab2 and its regulation in cardiovascular diseases, immune disorders, tumorigenesis, and central nervous system disorders.

Phosphorylation of the multifunctional signal transducer B-cell adaptor protein (BCAP) promotes recruitment of multiple SH2/SH3 proteins including GRB2

B-cell adaptor protein (BCAP) is a multimodular, multifunctional signal transducer that regulates signal transduction pathways in leukocytes, including macrophages, B-cells, and T-cells. In particular, BCAP suppresses inflammatory signaling by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). However, how BCAP itself is regulated and what its interaction partners are is unclear. Here, using human immune cell lines, including THP-1 cells, we characterized the complex phosphorylation patterns of BCAP and used a novel protein complex trapping strategy, called virotrap, to identify its interaction partners. This analysis identified known interactions of BCAP with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) p85 subunit and NCK adaptor protein (NCK), together with previously unknown interactions of BCAP with Src homology 2 (SH2) and SH3 domain-containing adaptor proteins, notably growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) and CRK-like proto-oncogene, adaptor protein (CRKL). We show that the SH3 domain of GRB2 can bind to BCAP independently of BCAP phosphorylation status, suggesting that the SH2 domains mediate interactions with activated receptor tyrosine kinase complexes including the CD19 subunit of the B-cell receptor. Our results also suggested that the PI3K p85 subunit binds to BCAP via SH3 domains forming an inactive complex that is then activated by sequential binding with the SH2 domains. Taken together, our results indicate that BCAP is a complex hub that processes signals from multiple pathways in diverse cell types of the immune system.

Ubiquitin recognition in endocytic trafficking - with or without ESCRT-0.

The ability to sense and adapt to the constantly changing environment is important for all organisms. Cell surface receptors and transporters are key for the fast response to extracellular stimuli and, thus, their abundance on the plasma membrane has to be strictly controlled. Heteromeric endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs) are responsible for mediating the post-translational degradation of endocytosed plasma membrane proteins in eukaryotes and are essential both in animals and plants. ESCRTs bind and sort ubiquitylated cargoes for vacuolar degradation. Although many components that comprise the multi-subunit ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I, ESCRT-II and ESCRT-III complexes are conserved in eukaryotes, plant and animal ESCRTs have diverged during the course of evolution. Homologues of ESCRT-0, which recognises ubiquitylated cargo, have emerged in metazoan and fungi but are not found in plants. Instead, the Arabidopsis genome encodes plant-specific ubiquitin adaptors and a greater number of target of Myb protein 1 (TOM1) homologues than in mammals. In this Review, we summarise and discuss recent findings on ubiquitin-binding proteins in Arabidopsis that could have equivalent functions to ESCRT-0. We further hypothesise that SH3 domain-containing proteins might serve as membrane curvature-sensing endophilin and amphiphysin homologues during plant endocytosis.

Abstract 4792: Azetidine functionalized small-molecules potently inhibit STAT3 signaling and block tumor growth in human breast cancer xenografts

Abstract The development of inhibitors of Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 for clinical application has faced significant challenges and to date there are no suitable STAT3 small molecule inhibitors in the clinic. We report a novel class of azetidine-based small molecules that potently and preferentially inhibit STAT3 DNA-binding activity in vitro, with IC50 of 300-800 nM, compared to IC50 of 17 μM or higher against STAT1 DNA-binding activity. In the human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells treated with the azetidine compounds, including H182, constitutive STAT3 DNA-binding activity and tyrosine phosphorylation were strongly inhibited in both time- and dose-dependent manner. By contrast, the azetidine compounds showed little effects on EGF-induced STAT1 activity, Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK or other STAT3-independent signaling pathways, or on other SH2 domain-containing proteins. Furthermore, H182 and other azetidine compounds strongly inhibited viability, anchorage-dependent and -independent growth, and colony survival of the human breast cancer cells, with IC50 of 1.0 - 1.9 μM, compared to the IC50 of 3.8 - 8.1 μM against the viability and growth of the immortalized breast epithelial MCF-10A cells. The migration of breast cancer cells in vitrowere similarly inhibited by treatment with low concentrations of H182 for 18 h, without changes in viable cell number. Analysis of STAT3 downstream genes show that the expression of VEGF and survivin were significantly suppressed in breast cancer cells treated with the azetidine compounds. In vivo evaluation of antitumor efficacy shows H182 inhibited growth of human breast tumor xenografts. Studies together identify the azetidine-functionalized small molecules as potential candidate compounds for clinical development as novel therapeutic agents for human breast and other cancers that harbor aberrantly-active STAT3. Citation Format: Peibin Yue, Francisco Lopez-Tapia, Wenzhen Fu, Christine Brotherton-Pleiss, Marcus Tius, James Turkson. Azetidine functionalized small-molecules potently inhibit STAT3 signaling and block tumor growth in human breast cancer xenografts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4792.

Allosteric mechanisms underlie GPCR signaling to SH3-domain proteins through arrestin.

Signals from 800 G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to many SH3 domain-containing proteins (SH3-CPs) regulate important physiological functions. These GPCRs may share a common pathway by signaling to SH3-CPs via agonist-dependent arrestin recruitment rather than through direct interactions. In the present study, 19F-NMR and cellular studies revealed that downstream of GPCR activation engagement of the receptor-phospho-tail with arrestin allosterically regulates the specific conformational states and functional outcomes of remote β-arrestin 1 proline regions (PRs). The observed NMR chemical shifts of arrestin PRs were consistent with the intrinsic efficacy and specificity of SH3 domain recruitment, which was controlled by defined propagation pathways. Moreover, in vitro reconstitution experiments and biophysical results showed that the receptor-arrestin complex promoted SRC kinase activity through an allosteric mechanism. Thus, allosteric regulation of the conformational states of β-arrestin 1 PRs by GPCRs and the allosteric activation of downstream effectors by arrestin are two important mechanisms underlying GPCR-to-SH3-CP signaling.