Somatic gain-of-function mutations in BUD13 promote oncogenesis by disrupting Fbw7 function

Abstract

Somatic mutations occurring on key enzymes are extensively studied and targeted therapies are developed with clinical promises. However, context-dependent enzyme function through distinct substrates complicated targeting a given enzyme. Here, we develop an algorithm to elucidate a new class of somatic mutations occurring on enzyme-recognizing motifs that cancer may hijack to facilitate tumorigenesis. We validate BUD13-R156C and -R230Q mutations evading RSK3-mediated phosphorylation with enhanced oncogenicity in promoting colon cancer growth. Further mechanistic studies reveal BUD13 as an endogenous Fbw7 inhibitor that stabilizes Fbw7 oncogenic substrates, while cancerous BUD13-R156C or -R230Q interferes with Fbw7Cul1 complex formation. We also find this BUD13 regulation plays a critical role in responding to mTOR inhibition, which can be used to guide therapy selections. We hope our studies reveal the landscape of enzyme-recognizing motif mutations with a publicly available resource and provide novel insights for somatic mutations cancer hijacks to promote tumorigenesis with the potential for patient stratification and cancer treatment.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jun 29, 2023
Source ID
10.1084/jem.20222056

Entities

People

  • Jianfeng Chen
  • Pengda Liu
  • Xianming Tan
  • Xinyi Zhang

Organizations

  • Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
  • Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research
  • National Institutes of Health
  • North Carolina Biotechnology Center
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular Genetics
  • Oncology
  • Prostate Cancer Biology.