1. Silmitasertib (CX-4945) Disrupts ERα/HSP90 Interaction and Drives Proteolysis through the Disruption of CK2β Function in Breast Cancer Cells.
- Author
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Kim, Hogyoung, Elkins, Emma, Islam, Rahib, Cao, Bo, Abbes, Nour, Battles, Kaela, Kim, Sihyoung, Kim, Sichan, and Williams, Christopher
- Subjects
PROTEIN kinase inhibitors ,FLOW cytometry ,DRUG resistance in cancer cells ,BREAST tumors ,CELL proliferation ,CELLULAR signal transduction ,TAMOXIFEN ,REVERSE transcriptase polymerase chain reaction ,SMALL molecules ,ESTROGEN receptors ,HEAT shock proteins ,CELL lines ,MESSENGER RNA ,GENE expression ,WESTERN immunoblotting ,ANALYSIS of variance ,MICROSCOPY ,DATA analysis software ,PRECIPITIN tests ,PHARMACODYNAMICS - Abstract
Simple Summary: Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) is a key target for hormonal treatment of breast cancer. However, treatment with antihormonal therapies such as tamoxifen will eventually fail, presumably through hormone-independent signaling through estrogen receptors. It has been shown that a component of this resistance to hormonal therapy may be through expression of an alternative form of estrogen receptor, ERα36. Here, we show that targeting the enzyme CK2, either with the clinical stage CK2 inhibitor CX-4945, or by disrupting expression of its regulatory β subunit, can result in decreased expression of both the canonical form of ERα protein as well as the ERα36 isoform in tamoxifen-sensitive and tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells. Our studies provide a rationale for the clinical investigation of CX-4945 in the treatment of ERα-expressing breast cancers. Aberrant estrogen receptor (ERα) signaling mediates detrimental effects of tamoxifen including drug resistance and endometrial hyperplasia. ERα36, an alternative isoform of ERα, contributes to these effects. We have demonstrated that CK2 modulates ERα expression and function in breast cancer (BCa). Here, we assess if CX-4945 (CX), a clinical stage CK2 inhibitor, can disrupt ERα66 and ERα36 signaling in BCa. Using live cell imaging, we assessed the antiproliferative effects of CX in tamoxifen-sensitive and tamoxifen-resistant BCa cells in monolayer and/or spheroid cultures. CX-induced alterations in ERα66 and ERα36 mRNA and protein expression were assessed by RT-PCR and immunoblot. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to determine the differential interaction of ERα isoforms with HSP90 and CK2 upon CX exposure. CX caused concentration-dependent decreases in proliferation in tamoxifen-sensitive MCF-7 and tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 Tam1 cells and significantly repressed spheroid growth in 3D models. Additionally, CX caused dramatic decreases in endogenous or exogenously expressed ERα66 and ERα36 protein. Silencing of CK2β, the regulatory subunit of CK2, resulted in destabilization and decreased proliferation, similar to CX. Co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that ERα66/36 show CK2 dependance for interaction with molecular chaperone HSP90. Our findings show that CK2 functions regulate the protein stability of ERα66 and ERα36 through a mechanism that is dependent on CK2β subunit and HSP90 chaperone function. CX may be a component of a novel therapeutic strategy that targets both tamoxifen-sensitive and tamoxifen-resistant BCa, providing an additional tool to treat ERα-positive BCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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