Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1

<p>Our lab has recently identified a conserved synthetic lethality between loss of SETD2-dependent H3K36 trimethylation and inhibition of WEE1 kinase (Pfister et al., 2015). In order to explore the possible mechanisms of resistance to WEE1 inhibitor-treatment in H3K36me3-deficient cells, a yea...

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Main Author: van Bijsterveldt, L
Other Authors: Humphrey, T
Format: Thesis
Published: 2017
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author van Bijsterveldt, L
author2 Humphrey, T
author_facet Humphrey, T
van Bijsterveldt, L
author_sort van Bijsterveldt, L
collection OXFORD
description <p>Our lab has recently identified a conserved synthetic lethality between loss of SETD2-dependent H3K36 trimethylation and inhibition of WEE1 kinase (Pfister et al., 2015). In order to explore the possible mechanisms of resistance to WEE1 inhibitor-treatment in H3K36me3-deficient cells, a yeast genetic screen was performed to isolate mutants that suppressed the <em>set2Δ wee1-50</em> temperature sensitivity. Whole-genome sequencing of 23 spontaneous suppressor mutants revealed mutations in eight genes involved in cell cycle regulation (<em>bub1, cdc2, cut2, cut1, gtb1, myo52, slp1</em> and <em>wee1</em>), five genes involved in cell communication (<em>gpa1, shk1, ssp2, ste20</em> and <em>wis1</em>), and seven genes involved in transcription (<em>bdf1, brf1, bye1, epl1, lsm4, paf1</em> and <em>taf10</em>). </p> <p>Further analysis in mammalian cells revealed that knockdown of RNA Polymerase II-associated factor 1 (PAF1) partially rescued cell viability at higher concentrations (300 and 600 nM) of the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 in both <em>SETD2</em> wild-type and <em>SETD2</em> CRISPR knockout U2OS cells. Data were verified in fission yeast as well as in the renal cell carcinoma cell lines 786-O (<em>SETD2</em> wild-type) and A498 (bearing a truncating mutation in <em>SETD2</em>), indicating functional conservation of Paf1/PAF1-dependent resistance to Wee1/WEE1 inhibition from fission yeast to mammalian cells. </p> <p>Investigations into the molecular mechanisms responsible for PAF1-mediated suppression in human cells suggested involvement of the CDK inhibitor p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup>. Knockdown of PAF1 induced relocalisation of p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup> to the cytoplasm where it is thought to suppress caspase-3 dependent apoptosis as well as the degradation of RRM2 via CDK2 inhibition in the presence of AZD1775. These findings suggest that targeting cytoplasmic p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup> may offer new strategies for the treatment of resistance to WEE1-inhibition and knowledge of this pathway should be taken into account in the design of trials of targeted therapies for H3K36me3-deficient cancers.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:cadc1392-a031-496e-8ad1-def942ab48932022-03-27T07:10:58ZIdentification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1Thesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccuuid:cadc1392-a031-496e-8ad1-def942ab4893ORA Deposit2017van Bijsterveldt, LHumphrey, T<p>Our lab has recently identified a conserved synthetic lethality between loss of SETD2-dependent H3K36 trimethylation and inhibition of WEE1 kinase (Pfister et al., 2015). In order to explore the possible mechanisms of resistance to WEE1 inhibitor-treatment in H3K36me3-deficient cells, a yeast genetic screen was performed to isolate mutants that suppressed the <em>set2Δ wee1-50</em> temperature sensitivity. Whole-genome sequencing of 23 spontaneous suppressor mutants revealed mutations in eight genes involved in cell cycle regulation (<em>bub1, cdc2, cut2, cut1, gtb1, myo52, slp1</em> and <em>wee1</em>), five genes involved in cell communication (<em>gpa1, shk1, ssp2, ste20</em> and <em>wis1</em>), and seven genes involved in transcription (<em>bdf1, brf1, bye1, epl1, lsm4, paf1</em> and <em>taf10</em>). </p> <p>Further analysis in mammalian cells revealed that knockdown of RNA Polymerase II-associated factor 1 (PAF1) partially rescued cell viability at higher concentrations (300 and 600 nM) of the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 in both <em>SETD2</em> wild-type and <em>SETD2</em> CRISPR knockout U2OS cells. Data were verified in fission yeast as well as in the renal cell carcinoma cell lines 786-O (<em>SETD2</em> wild-type) and A498 (bearing a truncating mutation in <em>SETD2</em>), indicating functional conservation of Paf1/PAF1-dependent resistance to Wee1/WEE1 inhibition from fission yeast to mammalian cells. </p> <p>Investigations into the molecular mechanisms responsible for PAF1-mediated suppression in human cells suggested involvement of the CDK inhibitor p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup>. Knockdown of PAF1 induced relocalisation of p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup> to the cytoplasm where it is thought to suppress caspase-3 dependent apoptosis as well as the degradation of RRM2 via CDK2 inhibition in the presence of AZD1775. These findings suggest that targeting cytoplasmic p21<sup>Cip1/Waf1</sup> may offer new strategies for the treatment of resistance to WEE1-inhibition and knowledge of this pathway should be taken into account in the design of trials of targeted therapies for H3K36me3-deficient cancers.</p>
spellingShingle van Bijsterveldt, L
Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title_full Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title_fullStr Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title_full_unstemmed Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title_short Identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of SETD2 and WEE1
title_sort identification and characterisation of suppressors of synthetic lethality resulting from loss of setd2 and wee1
work_keys_str_mv AT vanbijsterveldtl identificationandcharacterisationofsuppressorsofsyntheticlethalityresultingfromlossofsetd2andwee1