The Role of MITF in the Regulation of CDKN2A in Melanoma
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The role of MITF in the regulation of CDKN2A in melanoma Randi Christell Andreassen Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Science in Molecular Bioscience 60 credits Department of Bioscience Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences UNIVERSITY OF OSLO 2017 © Randi Christell Andreassen 2017 The role of MITF in the regulation of CDKN2A in melanoma Randi Christell Andreassen http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo II ABSTRACT Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer when discovered in advanced stages. Early detection with surgical tumor removal is still the most effective treatment option. Novel treatment options such as small molecular inhibitors (e.g. Vemurafenib) and immunotherapy (CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors) have prolonged patient survival of individuals with metastatic disease. However, drug resistance and subsequent relapse, together with non-responders are still barriers that need to be overcome. Understanding the signaling pathways leading to melanoma development and progression is important to improve therapeutic options. Tumor suppressors are a group of genes whose function when absent may lead to tumor formation. The CDKN2A gene encodes two distinct tumor suppressors (p16INK4A and p14ARF) that regulates the cell cycle and is involved in vital processes such as aging, cellular senescence, and apoptosis. The CDKN2A gene is frequently lost or deregulated in human cancers, especially in melanoma, emphasizing the importance of CDKN2A within melanoma development. Another high susceptibility gene within melanoma is MITF-M (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor). MITF-M is the master regulator of melanocyte development, function and survival. Interestingly, MITF-M has been reported to regulate cell-cycle progression through the up- regulation of genes such as p16INK4A and p21Cip1. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of MITF-M in the regulation of the CDKN2A transcripts p16INK4A/p14ARF in immortalized melanocytes and melanoma cell lines spanning different disease stages and genetic backgrounds. Further, we investigated the implications of modulating p16INK4A expression in different melanoma backgrounds. Our data suggest that depletion of MITF-M results in a minor up- regulation of both p16INK4A and p14ARF expression in the majority of the cell lines tested. However, one exception was found showing a decrease in p16INK4A and p14ARF expression after MITF-M depletion. When modulating p16INK4A in various melanoma cell lines by using p16 mRNA or p16 siRNA molecules we observed no significant change in cell viability or cell growth rates compared to negative controls. Together, our results suggest that the regulation of p16INK4A and p14ARF expression by MITF-M is cell line specific, and that further studies are required to fully elucidate the role of MITF-M upon the regulation of CDKN2A in melanocytes and melanoma. III IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work presented in this master thesis was carried out at the Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, during the period November 2016 to May 2017. First of all, I would like to thank Professor Eivind Hovig for including me as a master student in his wet-lab group. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn and work in a cancer research laboratory. I am especially grateful to my main supervisor, Sigurd Leinæs Bøe. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, your excellent advice, laboratory guidance, patience, and invaluable help during the writing process. Your friendship and encouragement has motivated me through this period. I will forever be grateful for your kindness. I would also like to thank Ane Sager Longva and Tine Norman Alver for teaching me responsible laboratory thinking and helping me troubleshoot various laboratory procedures. Your smiles, laughs and positive spirit have meant a lot to me. Finally, I would like to thank my loving family especially my mother, father and extended family Tor Oshaug. Thank you for supporting and always believing in me. You have made it possible for me to complete my studies with a roof over my head. Randi Christell Andreassen V ABBREVIATIONS AKT Protein kinase B (PKB) a-MSH Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone AMPKa AMP-activated protein kinase alpha APAF1 Apoptotic protease activating factor 1 Ap1 Activator protein 1 AUF1 Pily(U)-binding/degradation factor 1 BCL-2 B-cell lymphoma 2 BMI1 Polycomb ring finger oncogene B-RAF Mitogen activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) BAD BCL2 associated agonist of cell death cAMP Cyclic adenosine monophosphate c-KIT Proto-oncogene c-Kit, tyrosine-protein kinase Kit Cbx7 Chromobox preotein homolog 7 Ct Cyclic threshold CDKN1A Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A CDKN2A Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A CREB cAMP responsive element binding protein CDK4 Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 CDK2 Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 c-MYC Class E Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Protein 39 c-MET Tyrosine-protein kinase Met DCT Dopachrome Tautomerase CRAF Serine/threonine-protein kinase RAF family CTLA-4 Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Associated Protein 4 ddH2O Doble destilled water DMSO Dimethyl sulfoxide DTIC 5-[3,3-dimethyl-1-triazenyl]-imidazole-4-carboxamide. (Dacarbazine) dsDNA Double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid EGF Epidermal growth factor EGFR Human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 ERK Extracellular signal-regulated kinase ETS 1 V-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog 1 (avian) ERBB4 Receptor tyrosine-protein kinase 4 FBS Fetal bovine serum VI FDA US Food and drug Administation GRIM-19 Gene Associated With Retinoic And Interferon-Induced Mortality 19 Protein HIF1a Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha HBP1 HMG-box transcription factor 1 hnRNP Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins IL-2 Interleukin-2 Id1 Inhibitor Of DNA Binding 1, HLH Protein IFNAR-2 Interferon Alpha And Beta Receptor Subunit 2 Jun Jun Proto-Oncogene, AP-1 Transcription Factor Subunit KDa Kilo Dalton kHz Kilohertz LDS Lithium dodecyl sulfate LDS-PAGE Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis miRNA Micro RNA MAPK Mitogen-activated protein kinase MART1 Melanoma antigen recognized by T cells MEK Mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase MITF Microphtalmia-associated transcription factor MDM2 Ubiqqutinin ligase murine double minute 2 mTOR Mechanistic target of rapamycin MEK Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase MKRN1 Makorin Ring Finger Protein 1 MOPS 3-(N-morpholino) propane sulfonic acid mRNA Messenger ribonucleic acid NRAS Neuroblastoma ras viral oncogene homolog NF1 Neurofibromatosis type 1 NF-kB Nuclear Factor Kappa B Subunit 1 OIS Oncogene induced senescense p16 Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (p16) (CDKN2A) p21 Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21, WAF1, CIP1) (CDKN1A) p-AKT Phosphorylated AKT PCR Polymerase chain reaction PD-1 Programmed Cell Death 1 PEA3 Ets variant 4 (ETV4) PI3K Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase PKA Protein kinase A PRMT6 Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 PTEN Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 REGγ Proteasome activator γ RTK Receptor tyrosine kinase VII RAS Ras viral oncogene homolog protein RPMI Roswell Park Memorial Institute PI3K Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase PIP3 Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trihosphate PMEL17 Premelanosome protein 17 RB Retinoblastoma protein family RD Regulatory domain SEI-1 Transcriptional Regulator Interacting With The PHD-Bromodomain 1 siRNA Small interfering RNA Siva1 Apoptosis Regulatory Protein Siva SP1 Sp1 transcription factor SP3 Sp3 transcription factor SREBF1 Sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 STAT1 Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 TP53 Tumor protein p53 Taq Thermos aquaticus Tax Human T-cell leukemia virus 1 TBS1 Thrombosponsin 1 TERT Telomerase reverse transcriptase TFEB Transcription Factor EB TFEC Transcription Factor EC TFE3 Transcription factor E3 TBX2 T-box transcription factor TYR Gene encoding tyrosinase (enzyme) VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 11 1.1 Cancer .................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1.1 Cell cycle and cancer ......................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Melanoma ............................................................................................................................................... 15 1.2.1 Development of melanoma ................................................................................................................ 18 1.2.2 Signaling pathways and genes involved in melanoma development ................................................. 20 1.2.3 MITF-M, the master regulator of melanoma ..................................................................................... 24 1.2.4 MITF-induced regulation of the cell cycle ........................................................................................ 26 1.2.5 The CDKN2A gene in melanoma ...................................................................................................... 27 1.2.6 Regulation of the CDKN2A gene ...................................................................................................... 29 1.3 Aims of the study ..................................................................................................................................