The T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase is phosphorylated on Ser-304 by cyclin-dependent protein kinases in mitosis.

Two alternatively spliced forms of the human protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP (T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase) exist: a 48 kDa form that is targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (TC48) and a shorter 45 kDa form that is targeted to the nucleus (TC45). In this study we have identified Ser-304 (Phe301-Asp-His-Ser304-Pro-Asn-Lys307) as a major TCPTP phosphory-lation site and demonstrate that TC45, but not TC48, is phosphorylated on this site in vivo. Phosphorylation of TC45 on Ser-304 was cell cycle-dependent, and increased as cells progressed from G2 into mitosis, but subsided upon mitotic exit. Ser-304 phosphorylation was increased when cells were arrested in mitosis by microtubule poisons such as nocodazole, but remained unaltered when cells were arrested at the G2/M checkpoint by adriamycin. Phosphorylation of Ser-304 did not alter significantly the phosphatase activity or the protein stability of TC45, and had no apparent effect on TC45 localization. Ser-304 phosphorylation was ablated when cells were treated with the CDK (cyclin-dependent protein kinase) inhibitors roscovitine or SU9516, but remained unaltered when ERK1/2 activation was inhibited with the MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase kinase) inhibitor PD98059. In addition, recombinant CDKs, but not the Polo-like kinase Plk1, phosphorylated Ser-304 in vitro. Our studies identify Ser-304 as a major phosphorylation site in human TCPTP, and the TC45 variant as a novel mitotic CDK substrate

BRCA-deficient metastatic prostate cancer has an adverse prognosis and distinct genomic phenotypeResearch in context

Summary: Background: Genomic alterations in DNA damage response (DDR) genes are common in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Understanding how these genomic events impact prognosis and/or treatment response is vital for optimising clinical outcomes. Methods: Targeted sequencing was performed on 407 plasma samples from 375 men with mCRPC. Using the CLIA-certified PredicineCARE™ cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assay, pathogenic alterations in 152 key genes (including 27 DDR-related genes) were assessed, as was the presence and mechanisms of biallelic loss in BRCA2. Findings: At least one DDR alteration was present in 34.5% (129/375) of patients (including monoallelic alterations). The most frequently altered DDR genes were BRCA2 (19%), ATM (13%), FANCA (5%), CHEK2 (5%) and BRCA1 (3%). Patients with BRCA alterations, especially BRCA2, had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) (Hazard ratio (HR) 3.3 [95% CI 1.9–6.0]; Cox regression p < 0.001), overall survival (HR 2.2 [95% CI 1.1–4.5]; Cox regression p = 0.02) and PSA response rates to androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors (32% vs 60%, chi-square p = 0.02). BRCA-deficient tumours were also enriched for alterations within multiple genes including in the AR and PI3K pathways. Zygosity of BRCA2 alterations had no discernible impact on clinical outcomes, with similarly poor PFS for monoallelic vs biallelic loss (median 3.9 months vs 3.4 months vs copy neutral 9.8 months). Interpretation: These data emphasise that the BRCA genes, in particular BRCA2, are key prognostic biomarkers in mCRPC. The clinical utility of BRCA2 as a marker of poor outcomes may, at least in cfDNA assays, be independent of the zygosity state detected. Enrichment of actionable genomic alterations in cfDNA from BRCA-deficient mCRPC may support rational co-targeting strategies in future clinical trials. Funding: Several funding sources have supported this study. A full list is provided in the Acknowledgments. No funding was received from Predicine, Inc. during the conduct of the study

The Transcription cofactor c-JUN mediates phenotype switching and BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma

Most patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma display remarkable but incomplete and short-lived responses to inhibitors of the BRAF kinase or the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), collectively BRAF/MEK inhibitors. We found that inherent resistance to these agents in BRAF(V600)-mutant melanoma cell lines was associated with high abundance of c-JUN and characteristics of a mesenchymal-like phenotype. Early drug adaptation in drug-sensitive cell lines grown in culture or as xenografts, and in patient samples during therapy, was consistently characterized by down-regulation of SPROUTY4 (a negative feedback regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases and the BRAF-MEK signaling pathway), increased expression of JUN and reduced expression of LEF1. This coincided with a switch in phenotype that resembled an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In cultured cells, these BRAF inhibitor-induced changes were reversed upon removal of the drug. Knockdown of SPROUTY4 was sufficient to increase the abundance of c-JUN in the absence of drug treatment. Overexpressing c-JUN in drug-naïve melanoma cells induced similar EMT-like phenotypic changes to BRAF inhibitor treatment, whereas knocking down JUN abrogated the BRAF inhibitor-induced early adaptive changes associated with resistance and enhanced cell death. Combining the BRAF inhibitor with an inhibitor of c-JUN amino-terminal kinase (JNK) reduced c-JUN phosphorylation, decreased cell migration, and increased cell death in melanoma cells. Gene expression data from a panel of melanoma cell lines and a patient cohort showed that JUN expression correlated with a mesenchymal gene signature, implicating c-JUN as a key mediator of the mesenchymal-like phenotype associated with drug resistance.13 page(s

CYT997: a novel orally active tubulin polymerization inhibitor with potent cytotoxic and vascular disrupting activity in vitro and in vivo

CYT997 is a wholly synthetic compound that possesses highly potent cytotoxic activity in vitro through inhibition of microtubule polymerization. CYT997 blocks the cell cycle at the G-M boundary, and Western blot analysis indicates an increase in phosphorylated Bcl-2, along with increased expression of cyclin B1. Caspase-3 activation is also observed in cells treated with CYT997 along with the generation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. The compound possesses favorable pharmacokinetic properties, is orally bioavailable, and is efficacious per os in a range of in vivo cancer models, including some refractory to paclitaxel treatment. CYT997 exhibits vascular disrupting activity as measured in vitro by effects on the permeability of human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers, and in vivo by effects on tumor blood flow. CYT997 possesses a useful combination of pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic properties and has considerable potential as a novel anticancer agent