Shp2E76K mutant confers cytokine-independent survival of TF-1 myeloid cells by up-regulating Bcl-XL

Intramolecular Interaction with the E6 Region Stabilizes the Closed Conformation of the N-SH2 Domain and Concurs with the Self-Inhibitory Docking in Downregulating the Activity of the SHP2 Tyrosine Phosphatase: A Molecular Dynamics Study

The localization and activity of the SHP2 tyrosine phosphatase across different cellular compartments to the target substrates are steered by the binding of phosphotyrosine (pY) peptides to the tandem SH2 domains. The most N-terminal domain (N-SH2) can also keep the enzyme inactive by intramolecular occlusion of the catalytic site. Enzyme activity can be recovered by an allosteric disruption of this self-inhibitory docking upon the binding of pY peptides to the N-SH2 domain. Prior to this, the N-SH2 domain must abandon the closed conformation because it impedes the access of pY peptides to the binding cleft. Although it cooperates with the self-inhibitory docking in the negative regulation of the phosphatase activity, the structural determinants of the stability of the closed conformation in the self-inhibited phosphatase are still elusive. To address this issue, a molecular dynamics simulation study is carried out. It is shown that the closed conformation is stabilized by the interaction of the N-SH2 domain with a conserved peptide portion in the region encoded by PTPN11 exon 6 (E6).

The extended spectrum of RAS-MAPK pathway mutations in colorectal cancer

Current clinical guidelines recommend mutation analysis for select codons in KRAS and NRAS exons 2, 3, and 4 and BRAF V600E to guide therapy selection and prognostic stratification in advanced colorectal cancer. This study evaluates the impact of extended molecular testing on the detection of RAS-MAPK pathway mutations. Panel next-generation sequencing results of colorectal cancer specimens from 5795 individuals from the American Association for Cancer Research Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (AACR Project GENIE) were included. Mutations in RAS-MAPK pathway genes were analyzed and functionally annotated. Colorectal cancers had recurrent pathogenic pathway activating mutations in KRAS (44%), NRAS (4%), HRAS (<1%), BRAF (10%), MAP2K1 (1%), RAF1 (<1%), and PTPN11 (<1%). The proportion of colorectal cancers with pathogenic RAS pathway mutations was 37% when only KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations were considered, 46% when also including select KRAS and NRAS exons 2, 3, and 4 mutations, 53% when including BRAF V600E mutations, and 56% when including all pathogenic mutations. Panel next-generation sequencing testing identifies additional RAS-MAPK pathway driver mutations beyond current guideline recommendations. These mutations have potential implications in treatment selection for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Inhibition of Shp2 suppresses mutant EGFR-induced lung tumors in transgenic mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutants drive lung tumorigenesis and are targeted for therapy. However, resistance to EGFR inhibitors has been observed, in which the mutant EGFR remains active. Thus, it is important to uncover mediators of EGFR mutant-driven lung tumors to develop new treatment strategies. The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) Shp2 mediates EGF signaling. Nevertheless, it is unclear if Shp2 is activated by oncogenic EGFR mutants in lung carcinoma or if inhibiting the Shp2 PTP activity can suppress EGFR mutant-induced lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we generated transgenic mice containing a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible PTP-defective Shp2 mutant (tetO-Shp2CSDA). Using the rat Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP)-rtTA-directed transgene expression in the type II lung pneumocytes of transgenic mice, we found that the Gab1-Shp2 pathway was activated by EGFRL858R in the lungs of transgenic mice. Consistently, the Gab1-Shp2 pathway was activated in human lung adenocarcinoma cells containing mutant EGFR. Importantly, Shp2CSDA inhibited EGFRL858R-induced lung adenocarcinoma in transgenic animals. Analysis of lung tissues showed that Shp2CSDA suppressed Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation and Gab1-Shp2 association, suggesting that Shp2 modulates a positive feedback loop to regulate its own activity. These results show that inhibition of the Shp2 PTP activity impairs mutant EGFR signaling and suppresses EGFRL858R-driven lung adenocarcinoma.

Functions of Shp2 in cancer

Diagnostics and therapies have shown evident advances. Tumour surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the main techniques in treat cancers. Targeted therapy and drug resistance are the main focus in cancer research, but many molecular intracellular mechanisms remain unknown. Src homology region 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2) is associated with breast cancer, leukaemia, lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer and other cancer types. Signalling pathways involving Shp2 have also been discovered. Shp2 is related to many diseases. Mutations in the ptpn11 gene cause Noonan syndrome, LEOPARD syndrome and childhood leukaemia. Shp2 is also involved in several cancer-related processes, including cancer cell invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, DNA damage, cell proliferation, cell cycle and drug resistance. Based on the structure and function of Shp2, scientists have investigated specific mechanisms involved in cancer. Shp2 may be a potential therapeutic target because this phosphatase is implicated in many aspects. Furthermore, Shp2 inhibitors have been used in experiments to develop treatment strategies. However, conflicting results related to Shp2 functions have been presented in the literature, and such results should be resolved in future studies.

SHP2E76K mutant promotes lung tumorigenesis in transgenic mice

Lung cancer is a major disease carrying heterogeneous molecular lesions and many of them remain to be analyzed functionally in vivo. Gain-of-function (GOF) SHP2 (PTPN11) mutations have been found in various types of human cancer, including lung cancer. However, the role of activating SHP2 mutants in lung cancer has not been established. We generated transgenic mice containing a doxycycline (Dox)-inducible activating SHP2 mutant (tetO-SHP2(E76K)) and analyzed the role of SHP2(E76K) in lung tumorigenesis in the Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP)-reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA)/tetO-SHP2(E76K) bitransgenic mice. SHP2(E76K) activated Erk1/Erk2 (Erk1/2) and Src, and upregulated c-Myc and Mdm2 in the lungs of bitransgenic mice. Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and small adenomas were observed in CCSP-rtTA/tetO-SHP2(E76K) bitransgenic mice induced with Dox for 2-6 months and progressed to larger adenoma and adenocarcinoma by 9 months. Dox withdrawal from bitransgenic mice bearing magnetic resonance imaging-detectable lung tumors resulted in tumor regression. These results show that the activating SHP2 mutant promotes lung tumorigenesis and that the SHP2 mutant is required for tumor maintenance in this mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer. SHP2(E76K) was associated with Gab1 in the lung of transgenic mice. Elevated pGab1 was observed in the lung of Dox-induced CCSP-rtTA/tetO-SHP2(E76K) mice and in cell lines expressing SHP2(E76K), indicating that the activating SHP2 mutant autoregulates tyrosine phosphorylation of its own docking protein. Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation is sensitive to inhibition by the Src inhibitor dasatinib in GOF SHP2-mutant-expressing cells, suggesting that Src family kinases are involved in SHP2 mutant-induced Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation.

JAK1 truncating mutations in gynecologic cancer define new role of cancer-associated protein tyrosine kinase aberrations

Cancer-associated protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) mutations usually are gain-of-function (GOF) mutations that drive tumor growth and metastasis. We have found 50 JAK1 truncating mutations in 36 of 635 gynecologic tumors in the Total Cancer Care® (TCC®) tumor bank. Among cancer cell lines containing JAK1 truncating mutations in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia databank, 68% are gynecologic cancer cells. Within JAK1 the K142, P430, and K860 frame-shift mutations were identified as hot spot mutation sites. Sanger sequencing of cancer cell lines, primary tumors, and matched normal tissues confirmed the JAK1 mutations and showed that these mutations are somatic. JAK1 mediates interferon (IFN)-γ-regulated tumor immune surveillance. Functional assays show that JAK1 deficient cancer cells are defective in IFN-γ-induced LMP2 and TAP1 expression, loss of which inhibits presentation of tumor antigens. These findings identify recurrent JAK1 truncating mutations that could contribute to tumor immune evasion in gynecologic cancers, especially in endometrial cancer.

Enhanced anti-melanoma efficacy of interferon alfa-2b via inhibition of Shp2

Interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) is used to treat melanoma but there is a need to improve its efficacy. IFN-α2b signaling requires STAT1/STAT2 tyrosine phosphorylation and is subject to negative regulation by phosphatases. In this study, we determined whether inhibition of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 could enhance IFN-α2b responses in human melanoma cells. Shp2 knockdown increased IFN-α2b-stimulated STAT1 Tyr-701 phosphorylation and ISRE-luciferase activity even though it did not affect STAT2 Tyr-690 phosphorylation in A375 cells. In A375 tumor xenografts, Shp2 knockdown enhanced the anti-melanoma effect of IFN-α2b. Furthermore, the Shp2 inhibitor SPI-112Me increased the IFN-α2b-induced STAT1 activation and anti-proliferative response in A375 and SK-MEL-2 cells. These results demonstrate that inhibition of Shp2 can enhance the anti-melanoma activity of IFN-α2b.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β is a prosurvival signal for the maintenance of human mast cell homeostasis

Homeostasis of mature tissue-resident mast cells is dependent on the relative activation of pro- and antiapoptotic regulators. In this study, we investigated the role of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in the survival of neoplastic and nonneoplastic human mast cells. GSK3β was observed to be phosphorylated at the Y(216) activating residue under resting conditions in both the neoplastic HMC1.2 cell line and in peripheral blood-derived primary human mast cells (HuMCs), suggesting constitutive activation of GSK3β in these cells. Lentiviral-transduced short hairpin RNA knockdown of GSK3β in both the HMC1.2 cells and HuMCs resulted in a significant reduction in cell survival as determined with the MTT assay. The decrease in stem cell factor (SCF)-mediated survival in the GSK3β knockdown HuMCs was reflected by enhancement of SCF withdrawal-induced apoptosis, as determined by Annexin V staining and caspase cleavage, and this was associated with a pronounced reduction in SCF-mediated phosphorylation of Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 and ERK1/2 and reduced expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-xl and Bcl-2. These data show that GSK3β is an essential antiapoptotic factor in both neopastic and nontransformed primary human mast cells through the regulation of SCF-mediated Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 and ERK activation. Our data suggest that targeting of GSK3β with small m.w. inhibitors such as CHIR 99021 may thus provide a mechanism for limiting mast cell survival and subsequently decreasing the intensity of the allergic inflammatory response.

Critical role of Shp2 in tumor growth involving regulation of c-Myc

Activating mutants of Shp2 protein tyrosine phosphatase, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, are linked to leukemia. In solid tumors, however, PTPN11 mutations occur at low frequencies while the wildtype Shp2 is activated by protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in cancer cells and mediates PTK signaling. Therefore, it is important to address whether the wildtype Shp2 plays a functional role critical for tumor growth. Using shRNAs and a PTP-inactive mutant to inhibit Shp2, we find here that tumor growth of DU145 prostate cancer and H292 lung cancer cells depends on Shp2. Suppression of Shp2 inhibited cell proliferation, decreased c-Myc and increased p27 expression in cell cultures. In H292 tumor tissues, c-Myc-positive cells coincided with Ki67-positive cells and smaller tumors from Shp2 knockdown cells had less c-Myc-positive cells and more nuclear p27. Shp2-regulated c-Myc expression was mediated by Src and Erk1/2. Down-regulation of c-Myc reduced cell proliferation while up-regulation of c-Myc in Shp2 knockdown H292 cells partially rescued the inhibitory effect of Shp2 suppression on cell proliferation. Tyrosine phosphoproteomic analysis of H292 tumor tissues showed that Shp2 could both up- and down-regulate tyrosine phosphorylation on cellular proteins. Among other changes, Shp2 inhibition increased phosphorylation of Src Tyr-530 and Cdk1 Thr-14/Tyr-15 and decreased phosphorylation of Erk1 and Erk2 activating sites in the tumors. Significantly, we found that Shp2 positively regulated Gab1 Tyr-627/Tyr-659 phosphorylation. This finding reveals that Shp2 can auto-regulate its own activating signal. Shp2 Tyr-62/Tyr-63 phosphorylation was observed in tumor tissues, indicating that Shp2 is activated in the tumors.

Inhibition of cellular Shp2 activity by a methyl ester analog of SPI-112

The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) Shp2 (PTPN11) is an attractive target for anticancer drug discovery because it mediates growth factor signaling and its gain-of-function mutants are causally linked to leukemias. We previously synthesized SPI-112 from a lead compound of Shp2 inhibitor, NSC-117199. In this study, we demonstrated that SPI-112 bound to Shp2 by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and displayed competitive inhibitor kinetics to Shp2. Like some other compounds in the PTP inhibitor discovery efforts, SPI-112 was not cell permeable, precluding its use in biological studies. To overcome the cell permeation issue, we prepared a methyl ester SPI-112 analog (SPI-112Me) that is predicted to be hydrolyzed to SPI-112 upon entry into cells. Fluorescence uptake assay and confocal imaging suggested that SPI-112Me was taken up by cells. Incubation of cells with SPI-112Me inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated Shp2 PTP activity and Shp2-mediated paxillin dephosphorylation, Erk1/2 activation, and cell migration. SPI-112Me treatment also inhibited Erk1/2 activation by a Gab1-Shp2 chimera. Treatment of Shp2(E76K) mutant-transformed TF-1 myeloid cells with SPI-112Me resulted in inhibition of Shp2(E76K)-dependent cell survival, which is associated with inhibition of Shp2(E76K) PTP activity, Shp2(E76K)-induced Erk1/2 activation, and Bcl-XL expression. Furthermore, SPI-112Me enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-stimulated STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation, ISRE-luciferase reporter activity, p21 expression, and the anti-proliferative effect. Thus, the SPI-112 methyl ester analog was able to inhibit cellular Shp2 PTP activity.

Activating PTPN11 mutants promote hematopoietic progenitor cell-cycle progression and survival

OBJECTIVE

Mutations in PTPN11, which encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2, are commonly found in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). We hypothesized that PTPN11 mutations promote cell-cycle progression and confer enhanced survival to hematopoietic progenitors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Murine bone marrow low-density mononuclear cells were transduced with pMIEG3, pMIEG3-WT Shp2, pMIEG3-Shp2D61Y, or pMIEG3-Shp2E76K followed by cell-cycle and survival functional analysis as well as biochemical analysis for key cell-cycle and programmed cell-death regulatory proteins.

RESULTS

A higher proportion of hematopoietic progenitors bearing the gain-of-function Shp2 mutants were residing in the S or G2 phase of the cell cycle in response to low doses of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor compared to cells transduced with empty vector (MIEG3) or with WT Shp2. Likewise, Shp2D61Y- or Shp2E76K-expressing hematopoietic cells demonstrated reduced apoptosis based on Annexin-V staining and produced increased progenitor colonies after 48 hours in minimal media compared to cells transduced with empty vector or WT Shp2. To differentiate enhanced survival vs hyperproliferation, cells were stained with PKH26 to distinguish undivided cells from divided progeny. Shp2D61Y- or Shp2E76K-expressing PKH26+ cells similarly demonstrated reduced apoptosis. Upon biochemical analysis, expression of Akt- and Erk-responsive cell-cycle and programmed cell-death regulatory proteins were altered, including increased levels of cyclin D1, Bcl2, and BclXL and reduced levels of p27, p21, and Bim.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, these data demonstrate that gain-of-function Shp2 mutants promote hematopoietic progenitor cell-cycle progression and survival and imply that agents targeting the cell cycle or promoting apoptosis may have therapeutic potential in JMML.