R e s e a R c h a R t i c l e3 4 0 7 jci.org Volume 124 Number 8 August 2014 IntroductionThe intestine is made up of repetitive units that consist of a differentiated compartment (the villus) and a proliferative compartment (the crypt). Intestinal stem cells are located in the crypt (1, 2) and produce rapidly proliferating daughter cells, the transit amplifying cells, which subsequently differentiate into 2 main epithelial lineages. The absorptive lineage is composed of all enterocytes, while the secretory lineage is composed of goblet cells (secreting protective mucins), enteroendocrine cells (secreting hormones like serotonin or secretin), and Paneth cells (3, 4). Whether transit amplifying cells differentiate along an absorptive or a secretory lineage is regulated by the Notch pathway (5). Engagement of Notch receptors by Notch ligands, such as Delta or Jagged, induces proteolytic cleavage of the receptor by γ-secretase. The cleaved NOTCH1 receptor (NICD1) translocates into the nucleus, resulting in the formation of an active transcriptional complex composed of RBPJκ (also known as CSL or CBF1) and NICD1. Notch signal activation induces hairy/enhancer of split (Hes) gene expression. Ablation of Notch signaling via genetic deletion of Rbpj results in secretory cell expansion (6). Conversely, in transgenic mice overexpressing NICD1, goblet cells are absent, and the proliferative compartment is expanded (7).The Wnt signaling pathway is a key regulator of intestinal stem cell homeostasis (8), and 2 of the target genes induced by Wnt signaling, c-MYC and c-JUN, encode transcription factors that have oncogenic potential (9, 10). Consequently, aberrant activation of the adenomatous polyposis coli/β-catenin/T cell factor (APC/ β-catenin/TCF) pathway is an initiating event in the majority of human colorectal cancers (11).c-MYC is a transcription factor with key functions in cell differentiation and cancer development (12)(13)(14). In the intestine, c-MYC is required for the altered proliferation and differentiation induced by APC inactivation (15-18). c-MYC is a highly labile protein, and at least 2 ubiquitin ligases, SKP2 and FBW7, can target it for proteasomal degradation (19-21). c-MYC ubiquitination is antagonized by the deubiquitinase USP28, which "piggybacks" on FBW7 and stabilizes c-MYC protein (22). Thus, an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a deubiquitinase, FBW7 and USP28, are together recruited to substrates (22), and a cycle of deubiquitination and ubiquitination controls c-MYC stability.Genomic data from human cancers suggest that most colorectal cancer mutations converge on c-MYC misregulation (23). Due to its key role in tumorigenesis, much recent research has been directed to finding ways to target c-MYC function (24-29). Dominant-negative approaches targeting c-MYC function impair intestinal tumor formation, and c-Myc heterozygous mice show reduced tumor development in the Apc min/+ model (16,17). Transgenic expression of a dominant-negative allele of Myc, OmoMyc, has provided proof of principle that targeting ...

The transcription factor ∆Np63 is a master regulator of epithelial cell identity and essential for the survival of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of lung, head and neck, oesophagus, cervix and skin. Here, we report that the deubiquitylase USP28 stabilizes ∆Np63 and maintains elevated ∆NP63 levels in SCC by counteracting its proteasome‐mediated degradation. Impaired USP28 activity, either genetically or pharmacologically, abrogates the transcriptional identity and suppresses growth and survival of human SCC cells. CRISPR/Cas9‐engineered in vivo mouse models establish that endogenous USP28 is strictly required for both induction and maintenance of lung SCC. Our data strongly suggest that targeting ∆Np63 abundance via inhibition of USP28 is a promising strategy for the treatment of SCC tumours.

Fbw7, the substrate recognition subunit of SCF(Fbw7) ubiquitin ligase, mediates the turnover of multiple proto-oncoproteins and promotes its own degradation. Fbw7-dependent substrate ubiquitination is antagonized by the Usp28 deubiquitinase. Here, we show that Usp28 preferentially antagonizes autocatalytic ubiquitination and stabilizes Fbw7, resulting in dose-dependent effects in Usp28 knockout mice. Monoallelic deletion of Usp28 maintains stable Fbw7 but drives Fbw7 substrate degradation. In contrast, complete knockout triggers Fbw7 degradation and leads to the accumulation of Fbw7 substrates in several tissues and embryonic fibroblasts. On the other hand, overexpression of Usp28 stabilizes both Fbw7 and its substrates. Consequently, both complete loss and ectopic expression of Usp28 promote Ras-driven oncogenic transformation. We propose that dual regulation of Fbw7 activity by Usp28 is a safeguard mechanism for maintaining physiological levels of proto-oncogenic Fbw7 substrates, which is equivalently disrupted by loss or overexpression of Usp28.

No abstract

Data availability RNA-seq data and ribosomal profiling data that support the findings of this study have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under accession code GSE106858. Mass spectrometry data that support the findings of this study have been deposited in figshare.com under the title of this manuscript (A MYC/GCN2/eIF2a negative feedback loop limits protein synthesis to prevent MYC dependent apoptosis in colorectal cancer) by the author Werner Schmitz (

Amplification of MYCN is the driving oncogene in a subset of high-risk neuroblastoma. The MYCN protein and the Aurora-A kinase form a complex during S phase that stabilizes MYCN. Here we show that MYCN activates Aurora-A on chromatin, which phosphorylates histone H3 at serine 10 in S phase, promotes the deposition of histone H3.3 and suppresses R-loop formation. Inhibition of Aurora-A induces transcription-replication conflicts and activates the Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR) kinase, which limits double-strand break accumulation upon Aurora-A inhibition. Combined inhibition of Aurora-A and ATR induces rampant tumor-specific apoptosis and tumor regression in mouse models of neuroblastoma, leading to permanent eradication in a subset of mice. The therapeutic efficacy is due to both tumor cell-intrinsic and immune cell-mediated mechanisms. We propose that targeting the ability of Aurora-A to resolve transcription-replication conflicts is an effective therapy for MYCN-driven neuroblastoma (141 words).

Deregulated expression of MYC induces a dependence on the NUAK1 kinase, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this dependence have not been fully clarified. Here, we show that NUAK1 is a predominantly nuclear protein that associates with a network of nuclear protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interactors and that PNUTS, a nuclear regulatory subunit of PP1, is phosphorylated by NUAK1. Both NUAK1 and PNUTS associate with the splicing machinery. Inhibition of NUAK1 abolishes chromatin association of PNUTS, reduces spliceosome activity, and suppresses nascent RNA synthesis. Activation of MYC does not bypass the requirement for NUAK1 for spliceosome activity but significantly attenuates transcription inhibition. Consequently, NUAK1 inhibition in MYC-transformed cells induces global accumulation of RNAPII both at the pause site and at the first exon-intron boundary but does not increase mRNA synthesis. We suggest that NUAK1 inhibition in the presence of deregulated MYC traps non-productive RNAPII because of the absence of correctly assembled spliceosomes.

No abstract