Synthetic lethality in CCNE1-amplified high grade serous ovarian cancer through combined inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 and microtubule dynamics

  • The taxanes are effective microtubule-stabilizing chemotherapy drugs that inhibit mitosis, induce apoptosis, and produce regression in a fraction of cancers that arise at many sites including the ovary. Novel therapeutic targets that augment taxane effects are needed to improve clinical chemotherapy response in CCNE1-amplified high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cells. In this study, we conducted an siRNA-based kinome screen to identify modulators of mitotic progression in CCNE1-amplified HGSOC cells that may influence clinical paclitaxel response. PLK1 is overexpressed in many types of cancer, which correlates with poor prognosis. Here, we identified a novel synthetic lethal interaction of the clinical PLK1 inhibitor BI6727 and the microtubule-targeting drug paclitaxel in HGSOC cell lines with CCNE1-amplification and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of this synergism. BI6727 synergistically induces apoptosis together with paclitaxel in different cell lines including a patient-derived primary ovarian cancer culture. Moreover, the inhibition of PLK1 reduced the paclitaxel-induced neurotoxicity in a neurite outgrowth assay. Mechanistically, the combinatorial treatment with BI6727/paclitaxel triggers mitotic arrest, which initiates mitochondrial apoptosis by inactivation of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins, followed by significant loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspase-dependent effector pathways. This conclusion is supported by data showing that BI6727/paclitaxel-co-treatment stabilizes FBW7, a component of SCF-type ubiquitin ligases that bind and regulate key modulators of cell division and growth including MCL-1 and Cyclin E. This identification of a novel synthetic lethality of PLK1 inhibitors and a microtubule-stabilizing drug has important implications for developing PLK1 inhibitor-based combination treatments in CCNE1-amplified HGSOC cells.

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Author:Sabrina Noack, Monika RaabORCiD, Yves MatthessORCiDGND, Mourad SanhajiORCiDGND, Andrea KrämerORCiDGND, Balázs Győrffy, Lars Kaderali, Ahmed el- Balat, Sven BeckerORCiDGND, Klaus StrebhardtORCiD
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-468254
DOI:https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.25386
ISSN:1949-2553
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29899826
Parent Title (English):OncoTarget
Publisher:Impact Journals LLC
Place of publication:[s. l.]
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2018
Date of first Publication:2018/05/25
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2018/07/03
Tag:cell cycle; ovarian cancer; paclitaxel; protein kinases; sensitization
Volume:9
Issue:40
Page Number:18
First Page:25842
Last Page:25859
Note:
All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
HeBIS-PPN:435733656
Institutes:Biowissenschaften / Biowissenschaften
Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0