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Macha SJ, Koneru B, Burrow TA, Zhu C, Savitski D, Rahman RL, Ronaghan CA, Nance J, McCoy K, Eslinger C, Reynolds CP. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres in Cancer Confers a Vulnerability to Reactivation of p53 Function. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3345-3358. [PMID: 35947641 PMCID: PMC9566554 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A subset of cancers across multiple histologies with predominantly poor outcomes use the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism to maintain telomere length, which can be identified with robust biomarkers. ALT has been reported to be prevalent in high-risk neuroblastoma and certain sarcomas, and ALT cancers are a major clinical challenge that lack targeted therapeutic approaches. Here, we found ALT in a variety of pediatric and adult cancer histologies, including carcinomas. Patient-derived ALT cancer cell lines from neuroblastomas, sarcomas, and carcinomas were hypersensitive to the p53 reactivator eprenetapopt (APR-246) relative to telomerase-positive (TA+) models. Constitutive telomere damage signaling in ALT cells activated ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase to phosphorylate p53, which resulted in selective ALT sensitivity to APR-246. Treatment with APR-246 combined with irinotecan achieved complete responses in mice xenografted with ALT neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and breast cancer and delayed tumor growth in ALT colon cancer xenografts, while the combination had limited efficacy in TA+ tumor models. A large number of adult and pediatric cancers present with the ALT phenotype, which confers a uniquely high sensitivity to reactivation of p53. These data support clinical evaluation of a combinatorial approach using APR-246 and irinotecan in ALT patients with cancer. SIGNIFICANCE This work demonstrates that constitutive activation of ATM in chemotherapy-refractory ALT cancer cells renders them hypersensitive to reactivation of p53 function by APR-246, indicating a potential strategy to overcome therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn J. Macha
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Balakrishna Koneru
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Trevor A. Burrow
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Charles Zhu
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Dzmitry Savitski
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Rakhshanda L. Rahman
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Catherine A. Ronaghan
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Jonas Nance
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Kristyn McCoy
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Cody Eslinger
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - C. Patrick Reynolds
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Corresponding author. C. Patrick Reynolds, MD PhD, Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; 3601 4th Street, Mail Stop 9445, Lubbock, Texas, USA. 79430-6450,
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Solares MJ, Jonaid GM, Luqiu WY, Berry S, Khadela J, Liang Y, Evans MC, Pridham KJ, Dearnaley WJ, Sheng Z, Kelly DF. High-Resolution Imaging of Human Cancer Proteins Using Microprocessor Materials. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200310. [PMID: 35789183 PMCID: PMC9574649 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in tumor suppressor genes, such as Tumor Protein 53 (TP53), are heavily implicated in aggressive cancers giving rise to gain- and loss-of-function phenotypes. While individual domains of the p53 protein have been studied extensively, structural information for full-length p53 remains incomplete. Functionalized microprocessor chips (microchips) with properties amenable to electron microscopy permitted us to visualize complete p53 assemblies for the first time. The new structures revealed p53 in an inactive dimeric state independent of DNA binding. Residues located at the protein-protein interface corresponded with modification sites in cancer-related hot spots. Changes in these regions may amplify the toxic effects of clinical mutations. Taken together, these results contribute advances in technology and imaging approaches to decode native protein models in different states of activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Solares
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - G M Jonaid
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - William Y Luqiu
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Samantha Berry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Janki Khadela
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Yanping Liang
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Madison C Evans
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kevin J Pridham
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - William J Dearnaley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Zhi Sheng
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Deborah F Kelly
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Solares MJ, Jonaid GM, Luqiu WY, Liang Y, Evans MC, Dearnaley WJ, Sheng Z, Kelly DF. Microchip-Based Structure Determination of Disease-Relevant p53. Anal Chem 2020; 92:15558-15564. [PMID: 33124814 PMCID: PMC7816086 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The tumor suppressor protein TP53 (p53) plays a multifaceted role in all cells of the human body. Mutations in the TP53 gene are often involved in cancer induction and disease progression. Despite its important role in health and development, structural information for p53 remains incomplete. Here, we present a microchip-based technology to facilitate structural studies of p53 assemblies derived from human cancer cells. These devices do not introduce foreign sequences to the p53 gene and maintain naturally occurring post-translational modifications. Using cryo-electron microscopy, structures for the p53 monomer (∼50 kDa) and tetramer (∼200 kDa) were resolved to ∼4.8 and ∼7 Å, respectively. These structures revealed new insights for flexible regions of p53 along with biologically relevant ubiquitination sites. Collectively, the convergence of nanotechnology tools and structural imaging builds a strong framework to understand the oncogenic impact of p53 in human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Solares
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - G M Jonaid
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - William Y Luqiu
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yanping Liang
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, United States
| | - Madison C Evans
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - William J Dearnaley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Zhi Sheng
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, United States
| | - Deborah F Kelly
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Center for Structural Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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