ROLE OF THE P53 TARGET ICMT IN METASTASIS: POST-PRENYLATION PROCESSING AT THE CENTER OF THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES IN CANCER

AREL ZALAZAR EVELYN; PORTA EZEQUIEL; CERRI AGUSTINA; MENACHO MARQUÉZ MAURICIO; GIRARDINI, JAVIER E.; BORINI ETICHETTI, CARLA M.; LAROCCA, M. CECILIA; LABADIE GUILLERMO

Salta

Congreso; SAIB (Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular); 2019

The mevalonate pathway catalyzes the de novo synthesis of Cholesterol, but also provides isoprenoids that may be used for protein modification though a complex process known as prenylation. Some proteins involved in oncogenic processes, such as Ras and Rho GTPases are among the targets of this modification. Pioneering studies with statins have suggested that mevalonate pathway alteration cooperates with tumor aggressiveness. More recently, other evidences have confirmed that alteration of this pathway may promote aggressive phenotypes and pointed out at enhanced protein prenylation as a possible mechanism underlying this effect. ICMT plays a central role in this postranslational modificationproccess by catalysing the last step, carboxymethylation of the prenylated C-terminus in target proteins. We have recently unveiled a link between post-prenylation processing and the p53 pathway by showing that ICMTexpression is repressed by wt p53. In contrast, we found that ICMT expression is enhanced by cancer-associated p53 point mutants. Our analysis of Breast and Lung cancer databases showed a negative correlation between ICMT expression and wt p53 status. Moreover, we found a significantly decreased metastasis free survival frequency in patients with high ICMT expression.Basing on these results, we wondered if alteration of ICMT levels enhances metastasis development. To answer this question, we studied the effect of ICMT overexpression on metastasisin vivo, using Triple Negative Breast Cancer cells in an immunocompetent mouse model.We extended our previous analysis on breast cancer patients and we found that p53 status affects the impact of ICMT overexpression. Moreover, our studieson the regulation of ICMT expression, showed that other p53 family members affect gene transcription. Our results suggest that ICMT levels are affected by the alterations in the functional equilibrium between different members of this family during tumor progression. In order to explore the potential of pharmacological manipulation of ICMT function we analysed the impact of the ICMT inhibitor cysmethynil to affect tumor-associated phenotypes.We found that ICMT inhibition affectsclonogenic potential, as well as phenotypes associated to metastatic cells, such as migration and invasion in vitro. In an effort to develop novel ICMT inhibitors, we synthesized novel molecules derived from S-trans-trans-farnesylthiosalicylic acid. This compound, commercially known as Salirasib®, acts as an isoprenylcysteyneanalog, and was initially identified as an ICMT inhibitor. As a preliminary characterization, we analysed the antiproliferative activity of our compounds in vitro on MDA-MB-231 cells.Our results suggest thatICMT overexpression during markedly affects tumor progression and that molecules interfering with the function of prenylated proteins are potentially useful in therapeutic strategies.