Genome-wide lentiviral shRNA screen identifies serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 as a determinant of oncolytic virus activity in breast cancer cells

Oncogene. 2016 May 12;35(19):2465-74. doi: 10.1038/onc.2015.303. Epub 2015 Aug 10.

Abstract

Oncolytic human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) shows promising treatment efficacy in late-stage clinical trials. The anticancer activity of oncolytic viruses relies on deregulated pathways in cancer cells, which make them permissive to oncolysis. To identify pathways that restrict HSV-1 KM100-mediated oncolysis, this study used a pooled genome-wide short hairpin RNA library and found that depletion of the splicing factor arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) leads to enhanced cytotoxicity of breast cancer cells by KM100. Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are a family of RNA-binding phosphoproteins that control both constitutive and alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Further characterization showed that KM100 infection of HS578T cells under conditions of low SRSF2 leads to pronounced apoptosis without a corresponding increase in virus replication. As DNA topoisomerase I inhibitors can limit the phosphorylation of SRSF2, we combined a topoisomerase I inhibitor chemotherapeutic with KM100 and observed synergistic anticancer effect in vitro and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice in vivo.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives
  • Camptothecin / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genomics*
  • Herpesvirus 1, Human / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Irinotecan
  • Lentivirus / genetics*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / deficiency
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / genetics*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / metabolism
  • Virus Replication / drug effects
  • Virus Replication / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • SRSF2 protein, human
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors
  • Irinotecan
  • Camptothecin