Cell Cycle Transcription Control by Ubiquitin Signaling
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CELL CYCLE TRANSCRIPTION CONTROL BY UBIQUITIN SIGNALING Anthony P. Arceci A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology in the School of Medicine Chapel Hill 2019 Approved by: Ian J. Davis Channing J. Der Robert J. Duronio Brian Kuhlman Michael J. Emanuele © 2019 Anthony P. Arceci ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Anthony P. Arceci: Cell Cycle Transcription Control by Ubiquitin Signaling (Under the direction of Michael J. Emanuele) The cell cycle is a tightly regulated series of molecular events which dictates proliferation. Both the timely activation of genes through transcription and destruction of proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome system are integral to normal cell cycles. Dysregulation of these networks often underlie a variety of malignant diseases such as cancer. Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) is an essential cell cycle transcription factor. FOXM1 regulates a transcriptional network that controls the G2/M transition and G1/S transition. Additionally, aberrant upregulation of the FOXM1 transcriptional network is linked to a variety of cancers. The kinases which activate FOXM1 are well explored, but the influence of the ubiquitin-proteasome system on FOXM1 remains unclear. Here, I described the role that two such enzymes, the E3 ubiquitin ligase CUL4-VPRBP and the deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) USP21, have on the stability and activity of FOXM1 in both normal and dysregulated cell cycles. First, I demonstrate that FOXM1 degradation is enhanced by association with CUL4- VPRBP. Depletion of VPRBP enhances FOXM1 stability and causes mitotic entry defects. Interestingly, overexpression of VPRBP enhances both FOXM1 ubiquitination and transcriptional activity by a process that occurs independent of CUL4. Finally, VPRBP and FOXM1 levels are assessed in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patient tumors, demonstrating a plausible mechanism for FOXM1 activation. iii Second, I demonstrate that FOXM1 is protected from degradation through association with the DUB USP21. Knockdown or overexpression of USP21 is able to destabilize or stabilize FOXM1, respectively, through deubiquitination of FOXM1. USP21 is able to influence mitotic entry and proliferation through regulating the FOXM1 transcriptional network. Furthermore, USP21 and FOXM1 are both significantly amplified in basal-like breast cancer with the knockdown of both sensitizing cells to the chemotherapy paclitaxel thus describing a novel combination treatment for this disease. Taken together, these results contribute to our understanding of how the ubiquitin- proteasome system positively and negatively regulates the abundance and activity of FOXM1. The research presented here further extends our understanding of the network of interactions regulating normal cell cycle dynamics and provide mechanistic and novel therapeutic insights into the promotion and treatment of cancer. iv To what great things await. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Looking back on my journey to this point, it is clear to me that I did not arrive here without help and support along the way. Starting from the beginning of my academic journey, I would like to acknowledge my mother, Darlene, and friend, Ron, for believing in me from the start and helping me establish myself as I relocated from Winchendon, Massachusetts to Tucson, Arizona to take my first step in what would become a 12 year journey of discovery and learning. I would like to acknowledge my network of friends, Anthony, Armando, Brandon, Craig, Greg, Patrick and Wayne who became my band of brothers, helping me navigate through the journey. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Kathleen Dixon, who fostered my passion for scientific inquiry and set me on the path to becoming a PhD. Dr. Angela Wandinger-Ness, Dr. Richard Cripps and Antonio Banuelos deserve recognition for providing me with the launching pad and experience to transition from the undergraduate level to the post-graduate level during my year at the University of New Mexico. I would like to acknowledge my colleagues in the lab Allie, Jen, Raj, Taylor, Thomas and Xianxi who were not only important participants in the research to follow, but also a great group of people to work with over the years. My partner, Amanda, deserves an incredible amount of recognition and has been with me through my entire graduate career. Without your love and support over the years I’m not sure if I would have made it. vi Finally, I would be remiss without recognizing my advisor, Dr. Michael Emanuele and the role that he played in guiding me to this point. Without your insight and knowledge to help me guide my research and humor and grace to make working in the lab fun, I surely would not have succeeded. I thank you all for the roles that you have played in my life. vii PREFACE In each of the following chapters portions of the work described were completed by other talented scientists and exceptional colleagues. Additionally, most chapters describe work that has been published and that I have permission to use as part of this dissertation. Chapter 2 describes work from a project which I made significant contributions to during my rotation and first year in the Emanuele lab and was ultimately completed by my colleague in the lab, Xianxi Wang. I contributed all experiments utilizing cell cycle analysis, RT-qPCR, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Additionally, I cloned some of the plasmids used in many of the cell biology assays described and provided critical revisions and suggestions to the manuscript throughout the peer-review process. Permission to include this article in its entirety is granted by the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology as described in their editorial policy (https://mcb.asm.org/content/editorial-policy). Chapter 3 describes work from a project in which I designed, conducted and analyzed the vast majority of experiments, wrote the manuscript and made most critical revisions throughout the peer-review process. The work described in Chapter 3 was published as an open-access article in Cell Reports. As such, I retain the copyright to this article as an author to include it in this dissertation in its entirety per editorial guidelines (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/copyright#Author-rights). viii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System .......................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 1 Enzymes of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System ........................................................................ 2 E3 Ubiquitin Ligases ............................................................................................................... 3 CRL4A and CRL4B ................................................................................................................. 5 DUBs ....................................................................................................................................... 6 USP21 ..................................................................................................................................... 8 The Cell Cycle ........................................................................................................................... 9 Historical Background ............................................................................................................ 9 Mechanisms of Control ......................................................................................................... 10 Cell Cycle Transcription by FOXM1 .................................................................................... 14 Background ........................................................................................................................... 14 Overview of FOXM1 Biology ................................................................................................ 15 Post-Translational Regulation of FOXM1 Through the Cell Cycle ..................................... 16 Ubiquitin-dependent Regulation of FOXM1 ......................................................................... 18 FOXM1 in Cancer ................................................................................................................. 19 ix CHAPTER 2: VPRBP/DCAF1 REGULATES THE DEGRADATION AND NONPROTEOLYTIC ACTIVATION OF THE CELL CYCLE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR FOXM1 ...................................................................................................................... 25 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 25 FOXM1 Stability is Regulated by CRL4VPRBP ....................................................................... 28 FOXM1 Interaction and Ubiquitylation