Higher-order interactions of Bcr-Abl can broaden chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) drug repertoire

Bcr-Abl, a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, is associated with leukemias, especially chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Deletion of Abl's N-terminal region, to which myristoyl is linked, renders the Bcr-Abl fusion oncoprotein constitutively active. The substitution of Abl's N-terminal region by Bcr enables Bcr-Abl oligomerization. Oligomerization is critical: it promotes clustering on the membrane, which is essential for potent MAPK signaling and cell proliferation. Here we decipher the Bcr-Abl specific, step-by-step oligomerization process, identify a specific packing surface, determine exactly how the process is structured and identify its key elements. Bcr's coiled coil (CC) domain at the N-terminal controls Bcr-Abl oligomerization. Crystallography validated oligomerization via Bcr-Abl dimerization between two Bcr CC domains, with tetramerization via tight packing between two binary assemblies. However, the structural principles guiding Bcr CC domain oligomerization are unknown, hindering mechanistic understanding and drugs exploiting it. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we determine that the binary complex of the Bcr CC domain serves as a basic unit in the quaternary complex providing a specific surface for dimer–dimer packing and higher-order oligomerization. We discover that the small α1-helix is the key. In the binary assembly, the helix forms interchain aromatic dimeric packing, and in the quaternary assembly, it contributes to the specific dimer–dimer packing. Our mechanism is supported by the experimental literature. It offers the key elements controlling this process which can expand the drug discovery strategy, including by Bcr CC-derived peptides, and candidate residues for small covalent drugs, toward quenching oligomerization, supplementing competitive and allosteric tyrosine kinase inhibitors.     

The c-Fes tyrosine kinase cooperates with the breakpoint cluster region protein (Bcr) to induce neurite extension in a Rac- and Cdc42-dependent manner

The c-fes locus encodes a cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase (Fes) previously shown to accelerate nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite outgrowth in rat PC12 cells. Here, we investigated the role of the Rho family small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 in Fes-mediated neuritogenesis, which have been implicated in neuronal differentiation in other systems. Fes-induced acceleration of neurite outgrowth in response to NGF treatment was completely blocked by the expression of dominant-negative Rac1 or Cdc42. Expression of a kinase-active mutant of Fes induced constitutive relocalization of endogenous Rac1 to the cell periphery in the absence of NGF, and led to dramatic actin reorganization and spontaneous neurite extension. We also investigated the breakpoint cluster region protein (Bcr), which possesses the Dbl and PH domains characteristic of guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Rho family GTPases, as a possible link between Fes, Rac/Cdc42 activation, and neuritogenesis. Coexpression of a GFP-Bcr fusion protein containing the Fes binding and tyrosine phosphorylation sites (amino acids 162-413) completely suppressed neurite outgrowth triggered by Fes. Conversely, coexpression of full-length Bcr with wild-type Fes in PC12 cells induced NGF-independent neurite formation. Taken together, these data suggest that Fes and Bcr cooperate to activate Rho family GTPases as part of a novel pathway regulating neurite extension in PC12 cells, and provide more evidence for an emerging role for Fes in neuronal differentiation.     

S(yp) Y279和Y304介导了BcrAbl与Grb2等蛋白的结合

利用体外定点突变技术获得Ｓｙｐ Ｙ２７９Ｆ、Ｙ３０４Ｆ和Ｙ５４６Ｆ突变的ｃＤＮＡ, 将这些突变体和野生型Ｓｙｐ 分别构建入ｐＸＭ 真核表达载体, 转入Ｋ５６２ 细胞。经Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ 印迹证明, 各转染Ｋ５６２ 细胞中都有Ｓｙｐ 蛋白的表达。免疫沉淀与免疫印迹结果发现ＷＴ、Ｙ２７９Ｆ、Ｙ３０４Ｆ和Ｙ５４６Ｆ等４ 种Ｓｙｐ 在胞内均能直接与ＢｃｒＡｂｌ 结合。体外结合实验结果表明Ｙ３０４Ｆ突变导致了Ｓｙｐ 不能与Ｓｈｃ 结合,Ｙ２７９Ｆ突变则导致了Ｓｙｐ 不能与Ｇｒｂ２ 结合。结论是： 作为“接头蛋白”,Ｓｙｐ 可以介导ＢｃｒＡｂｌ 与Ｓｈｃ 和Ｇｒｂ２ 之间的结合;Ｇｒｂ２ 结合在Ｓｙｐ 的Ｙ２７９ 上,Ｓｈｃ 则结合在Ｓｙｐ的Ｙ３０４ 上     

Dual Drug Targeting of Mutant Bcr‐Abl Induces Inactive Conformation: New Strategy for the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Overcoming Monotherapy Resistance

Bcr‐Abl is an oncogenic fusion protein which expression enhances tumorigenesis, and has been highly associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Acquired drug resistance in mutant Bcr‐Abl has enhanced pathogenesis with the use of single therapy agents such as nilotinib. Moreover, allosteric targeting has been identified to consequentially inhibit Bcr‐Abl activity, which led to the recent development of ABL‐001 (asciminib) that selectively binds the myristoyl pocket. Experimental studies have revealed that the combination of nilotinib and ABL‐001 induced a ‘bent’ conformation in the C‐terminal helix of Bcr‐Abl; a benchmark of inhibition, thereby exhibiting a greater potency in the treatment of CML, surmounting the setbacks of drug resistance, disease regression and relapse. Therefore, we report the first account of the dynamics and conformational analysis of oncogenic T334I Bcr‐Abl by dual targeting. Our findings revealed that unlike in the Bcr‐Abl‐Nilotinib complex, dual targeting by both inhibitors induced the bent conformation in the C‐terminal helix that varied with time. This was coupled with significant alteration in Bcr‐Abl stability, flexibility, and compactness and an overall structural re‐orientation inwards towards the hydrophobic core, which reduced the solvent‐exposed residues indicative of protein folding. This study will facilitate allosteric targeting and the design of more potent allosteric inhibitors for resistive target proteins in cancer.     

Diarylcarbonates are a new class of deubiquitinating enzyme inhibitor

Promiscuous inhibitors of tyrosine protein kinases, proteases and phosphatases are useful reagents for probing regulatory pathways and stabilizing lysates as well as starting points for the design of more selective agents. Ubiquitination regulates many critical cellular processes, and promiscuous inhibitors of deubiquitinases (DUBs) would be similarly valuable. The currently available promiscuous DUB inhibitors are highly reactive electrophilic compounds that can crosslink proteins. Herein we introduce diarylcarbonate esters as a novel class of promiscuous DUB inhibitors that do not have the liabilities associated with the previously reported compounds. Diarylcarbonates stabilize the high molecular weight ubiquitin pools in cells and lysates. They also elicit cellular phenotypes associated with DUB inhibition, demonstrating their utility in ubiquitin discovery. Diarylcarbonates may also be a useful scaffold for the development of specific DUB inhibitors.     

Tyrosine kinase modulation of protein kinase C activity regulates G protein-linked Ca2+ signaling in leukemic hematopoietic cells

We have used a recombinant mouse pre-B cell line (TonB210.1, expressing Bcr/Abl under the control of an inducible promoter) and several human leukemia cell lines to study the effect of high tyrosine kinase activity on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonist-stimulated cellular Ca²⁺ release and store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE). After induction of Bcr/Abl expression, GPCR-linked SOCE increased. The effect was reverted in the presence of the specific Abl inhibitor imatinib (1 μM) and the Src inhibitor PP2 (10 μM). In leukemic cell lines constitutively expressing high tyrosine kinase activity, Ca²⁺ transients were reduced by imatinib and/or PP2. Ca²⁺ transients were enhanced by specific inhibitors of PKC subtypes and this effect was amplified by tyrosine kinase inhibition in Bcr/Abl expressing TonB210.1 and K562 cells. Under all conditions Ca²⁺ transients were essentially blocked by the PKC activator PMA. In Bcr/Abl expressing (but not in native) TonB210.1 cells, tyrosine kinase inhibitors enhanced PKCα catalytic activity and PKCα co-immunoprecipitated with Bcr/Abl.Unlike native TonB210.1 cells, Bcr/Abl expressing cells showed a high rate of cell death if Ca²⁺ influx was reduced by complexing extracellular Ca²⁺ with BAPTA. Our data suggest that tonic inhibition of PKC represents a mechanism by which high tyrosine kinase activity can enhance cellular Ca²⁺ transients and thus exert profound effects on the proliferation, apoptosis and chemotaxis of leukemic cells.     

Cepharanthine activates caspases and induces apoptosis in Jurkat and K562 human leukemia cell lines.

Cepharanthine (CEP) is a known membrane stabilizer that has been widely used in Japan for the treatment of several disorders such as anticancer therapy-provoked leukopenia. We here report that apoptosis was induced by low concentrations (1-5 microM) of CEP in a human leukemia T cell line, Jurkat, and by slightly higher concentrations (5-10 microM) in a human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell line K562, which expresses a p210 antiapoptotic Bcr-Abl fusion protein. Induction of apoptosis was confirmed in both Jurkat and K562 cells by DNA fragmentation and typical apoptotic nuclear change, which were preceded by disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and were induced through a Fas-independent pathway. CEP treatment induced activation of caspase-9 and -3 accompanied by cleavage of PARP, Bid, lamin B1, and DFF45/ICAD in both Jurkat and K562 cells, whereas caspase-8 activation and Akt cleavage were observed only in Jurkat cells. The CEP-induced apoptosis was completely blocked by zVAD-fmk, a broad caspase inhibitor. Interestingly, CEP treatment induced remarkable degradation of the Bcr-Abl protein in K562 cells, and this degradation was prevented partially by zVAD-fmk. When used in combination with a nontoxic concentration of herbimycin A, lower concentrations (2-5 microM) of CEP induced obvious apoptosis in K562 cells with rapid degradation or decrease in the amount of Bcr-Abl and Akt proteins. Our results suggest that CEP, which does not have bone marrow toxicity, may possess therapeutic potential against human leukemias, including CML, which is resistant to anticancer drugs and radiotherapy.     

带有蛋白转导结构域的Bcr/Abl癌蛋白片段的表达及其跨膜转运

HIV 1编码的反式激活蛋白TAT具有将细胞外蛋白转导进入细胞的基序 ,称为蛋白转导结构域 (PTD) .为研究PTD介导的PTD Bcr Abl融合蛋白的跨膜转运 ,合成了编码PTD的基因片段 ,并与PCR扩增的慢性粒细胞白血病癌蛋白bcr abl基因片段融合 .在大肠杆菌中表达纯化了融合蛋白 ,将纯化的融合蛋白加入培养的HL60细胞和C2C12细胞后 ,发现PTD基序可以介导Bcr Abl蛋白自由从细胞外跨膜转导进入细胞内 .研究结果可能为用外源蛋白负载 (loading)免疫活性细胞如抗原提呈细胞提供新的途径 .