Scientific article
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English

iRhom2 regulates ERBB signalling to promote KRAS-driven tumour growth of lung cancer cells

Published inJournal of cell science, vol. 135, no. 17, jcs259949
Publication date2022-09-01
First online date2022-09-08
Abstract

Dysregulation of the ERBB/EGFR signalling pathway causes multiple types of cancer. Accordingly, ADAM17, the primary shedding enzyme that releases and activates ERBB ligands, is tightly regulated. It has recently become clear that iRhom proteins, inactive members of the rhomboid-like superfamily, are regulatory cofactors for ADAM17. Here, we show that oncogenic KRAS mutants target the cytoplasmic domain of iRhom2 (also known as RHBDF2) to induce ADAM17-dependent shedding and the release of ERBB ligands. Activation of ERK1/2 by oncogenic KRAS induces the phosphorylation of iRhom2, recruitment of the phospho-binding 14-3-3 proteins, and consequent ADAM17-dependent shedding of ERBB ligands. In addition, cancer-associated mutations in iRhom2 act as sensitisers in this pathway by further increasing KRAS-induced shedding of ERBB ligands. This mechanism is conserved in lung cancer cells, where iRhom activity is required for tumour xenograft growth. In this context, the activity of oncogenic KRAS is modulated by the iRhom2-dependent release of ERBB ligands, thus placing the cytoplasmic domain of iRhom2 as a central component of a positive feedback loop in lung cancer cells. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.

Keywords
  • A549 cells
  • ADAM17
  • EGFR
  • ERBB
  • KRAS
  • IRhom2
Affiliation entities Not a UNIGE publication
Funding
  • Cancer Research UK [CRUKDF 0920-MF]
  • Medical Research Council [1643127]
  • China Scholarship Council-University of Oxford Scholarship [201806240008]
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [BB/RO16771/1]
  • Wellcome Trust - The control of signalling by members of the rhomboid-like superfamily. [101035]
  • European Commission - Discovering the signalling pathways and physiology of active rhomboid proteases in the brain [659166]
Citation (ISO format)
SIEBER, Boris et al. iRhom2 regulates ERBB signalling to promote KRAS-driven tumour growth of lung cancer cells. In: Journal of cell science, 2022, vol. 135, n° 17, p. jcs259949. doi: 10.1242/jcs.259949
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Journal ISSN0021-9533
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7downloads

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