Cyclins, Cdks, E2f, Skp2, and More at the First International RB Tumor Suppressor Meeting
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Published OnlineFirst July 7, 2010; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0358 Published OnlineFirst on July 7, 2010 as 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0358 Meeting Report Cancer Research Cyclins, Cdks, E2f, Skp2, and More at the First International RB Tumor Suppressor Meeting Rod Bremner1,3,4 and Eldad Zacksenhaus2,4,5,6 Abstract The RB1 gene was cloned because its inactivation causes the childhood ocular tumor, retinoblastoma. It is widely expressed, inactivated in most human malignancies, and present in diverse organisms from mammals to plants. Initially, retinoblastoma protein (pRB) was linked to cell cycle regulation, but it also regulates se- nescence, apoptosis, autophagy, differentiation, genome stability, immunity, telomere function, stem cell bi- ology, and embryonic development. In the 23 years since the gene was cloned, a formal international symposium focused on the RB pathway has not been held. The “First International RB Tumor Suppressor Meeting” (Toronto, Canada, November 19-21, 2009) established a biennial event to bring experts in the field together to discuss how the RB family (“pocket proteins”), as well as its regulators and effectors, influence biology and human disease. We summarize major new breakthroughs and emerging trends presented at the meeting. Cancer Res; 70(15); OF1–5. ©2010 AACR. Introduction critical for growth, thus their prominent expression could sensitize human cone precursors to RB1 mutation and un- Twenty speakers gave presentations on an astonishingly derlie a cone precursor origin of retinoblastoma (3). Studies diverse array of topics, underscoring the central role of reti- to date do not rule out an alternative possibility, that tumors noblastoma protein (pRB) in human biology (1). We have might convert to a cone-like epigenetic state during neoplas- grouped these topics into the general areas of cancer, E2f tic transformation (2). Irrespective, the data raise exciting functions, other pRB effectors, and pRB regulators. Refer- new avenues for treatment. The role of nuclear receptors ences are limited to work published in the past year. or Mdm2 in mouse retinoblastoma is unknown, but these tu- mors arise from amacrine cells (or horizontal cells that con- vert to amacrine cells during neoplastic transformation), RB1 in Cancer which exhibit naturally high resistance to apoptosis. Mouse data exist on Mycn: David Macpherson (Carnegie Institution, Retinoblastoma tumors carry homozygous RB1 mutations Baltimore, Maryland) reported gain in ∼30 to 50% of tumors (see below for an intriguing exception), and can be modeled from Rb/p107 or Rb/p130 null retina, respectively, and focal, in mice by deleting Rb1 and one of its relatives p107 or p130 high-level amplifications in a smaller subset, suggesting nat- (2). pRB mediates cell cycle exit in differentiating retinal neu- ural Mycn levels in mouse retina are insufficient for transfor- rons, and in its absence E2f1 delays cell cycle exit. Which mation. Brenda Gallie (Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, neuron is tumor-prone, and why, is debated. David Cobrinik Canada) has found that 1.5% of retinoblastoma tumors lack (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New RB1 mutations, but show high MYCN amplification. Thus, York) showed that human retinoblastoma exploits cone pho- RB1 loss plus naturally high MYCN, or high MYCN alone toreceptor features, including high expression (not amplifica- (plus as yet unknown other changes), are oncogenic in the tion) of the proto-oncogenes MYCN and MDM2,andthe human retina, and Rb1 plus Rb1-relative loss and Mycn gain nuclear receptors TRB2 and RXRG (3). All four factors are are oncogenic in mouse retina. Retinoblastoma exhibits common post-RB1 genetic events. Authors' Affiliations: 1Toronto Western Research Institute, 2Toronto General Research Institute, 3University Health Network, Departments of Gallie found that retinoma, a senescent benign tumor replete Ophthalmology and Vision Science, 4Laboratory Medicine and with p16Ink4a and p130 protein and evident in ∼15% of retino- Pathobiology, 5Medicine, 6Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, RB1 Toronto, Ontario, Canada blastoma samples, has a subset of post- events present in malignant tumors, arguing that the latter derives from the for- Corresponding Authors: Rod Bremner, Toronto Western Research Insti- tute, University Health Network, 399 Bathurst Street, Room Mc6-424, mer. A common region of gain on human 1q contains KIF14 Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2S8. Phone: 416-603-5865; Fax: 416- and MDM4, and Macpherson showed that the syntenic region, 603-5126; E-mail: [email protected] and Eldad Zacksenhaus, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, 67 College also on mouse chromosome 1q, undergoes copy number in- Street, Room 407, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2M1. Phone: 416-340- crease in retinoblastoma models. Removing one allele of the 4800-5106; Fax: 416-340-3453; E-mail: [email protected]. Mdm2 inhibitor p19ARF accelerated mouse retinoblastoma, doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0358 and approximately half of these malignancies showed loss of ©2010 American Association for Cancer Research. heterozygosity. These and other studies suggest an important www.aacrjournals.org OF1 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 27, 2021. © 2010 American Association for Cancer Research. Published OnlineFirst July 7, 2010; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0358 Bremner and Zacksenhaus role for the MDM2-p53 pathway in retinoblastoma progres- disorder in the hematopoietic system, but not leukemia. sion, even though p53 itself is never mutated. In summary, TKO mouse embryonic stem cells could differentiate into MYCN, the p14/19ARF-MDM2/MDM4-p53 axis, and KIF14 embryoid bodies, and only 5 to 10% of cells showed BrdU in- are key players after RB1 loss in both mouse and human corporation. In these differentiated TKO cells, some E2f tar- retinoblastoma. gets remained elevated, but others and Myc genes were Typically, RB1± individuals develop multiple tumors in down-regulated as effectively as in wild-type cells. TKO em- both eyes, but low penetrance mutations that partially dis- bryos survived until midgestation in the presence of a wild- able pRB cause fewer tumors. R661W is the best studied mu- type placenta. Thus, multiple TKO cell types have potent tation, and David Goodrich (Roswell Park Cancer Institute, backup mechanisms, likely explaining why oncogenic viral Buffalo, New York) is employing the knock-in equivalent he proteins bind many factors other than pocket proteins. developed (R654W) to model cancer in mice. For example, Laura Buttitta (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, R654W/− − − the Rb :p53 / prostate is better protected against tu- Seattle, Washington) also discussed extensive feedback con- −/− − − mor progression than the Rb :p53 / tissue. Some E2f tar- trols that prevent cell cycle abnormalities. Robust ectopic di- gets are equally deregulated in both genotypes, thus vision in differentiating Drosophila wing or eye cells requires protection must be through distinct E2f targets and/or E2f- perturbation of both Rb-E2f and Cdk2 pathways. Removing independent mechanisms. Goodrich has also developed an inhibitors or expressing activators from either side of the T epitope-tagged knock-in Rb1 allele that will be useful in equation has minimal effect, which is explained by feedback mapping the protein and genome-wide chromatin targets mechanisms, for example, whereas E2f induces cyclin A, it of pRB in vivo (4). also induces APC/C, which degrades cyclin A. Loss of heterozygosity and RB1 down-regulation are com- mon in basal-like breast cancer, a highly aggressive subtype, as well as in luminal tumors. Eldad Zacksenhaus (Toronto Surprising In vivo Functions of Activating E2fs in General Research Institute, Toronto, Canada) described a Dividing Cells new mouse model for basal-like breast cancer, based on con- ditional Rb1 inactivation in mammary epithelium.7 Interest- Rod Bremner (Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, ingly, loss of Rb1 alone (without loss of Rb1 relatives) is Canada) and Gustavo Leone (Ohio State University, Columbus, sufficient to induce mammary tumors, and p53 status dic- Ohio) discussed in vivo functions of the three activating E2fs tates tumor subtype. (E2f1-3), downstream targets of pRB. Typically, E2fs are RB1 is also inactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). viewed as indispensable for cell division. Surprisingly, howev- Erik Knudsen (Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsyl- er, many cell types divide in vivo without E2f1-3 (7, 8). In retina, vania) discussed the unexpected finding that conditional Rb1 this finding was explained by the ability of Mycn to maintain deletion does not perturb quiescence in normal or regenerat- expression of E2f targets and repress Cdkn1a (p21Cip1; ref. 7). ing mouse hepatocytes (even adding p107 or p130 absence; Unexpectedly, E2f1-3 have a prosurvival role in dividing ref. 5). Although Rb1 loss also does not cause HCC, it en- cells, which seems counterintuitive given that high E2f1-3 le- hances chemically induced tumorigenesis (see ref. 5 and re- vels drive apoptosis through p53 and p53-independent ferences therein). The expression profile of pRB target genes means. In retina, survival is linked to E2f-dependent expres- predicts disease outcome in human liver cancer, and animal sion of Sirt1 and other deacetylases that constrain p53 (7). models are revealing the impact of cell cycle inhibitory com- Death of E2f1-3 null crypt progenitors is p53-independent