BRAF and AXL oncogenes drive RIPK3 expression loss in cancer

PLoS Biol. 2018 Aug 29;16(8):e2005756. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005756. eCollection 2018 Aug.

Abstract

Necroptosis is a lytic programmed cell death mediated by the RIPK1-RIPK3-MLKL pathway. The loss of Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) expression and necroptotic potential have been previously reported in several cancer cell lines; however, the extent of this loss across cancer types, as well as its mutational drivers, were unknown. Here, we show that RIPK3 expression loss occurs progressively during tumor growth both in patient tumor biopsies and tumor xenograft models. Using a cell-based necroptosis sensitivity screen of 941 cancer cell lines, we find that escape from necroptosis is prevalent across cancer types, with an incidence rate of 83%. Genome-wide bioinformatics analysis of this differential necroptosis sensitivity data in the context of differential gene expression and mutation data across the cell lines identified various factors that correlate with resistance to necroptosis and loss of RIPK3 expression, including oncogenes BRAF and AXL. Inhibition of these oncogenes can rescue the RIPK3 expression loss and regain of necroptosis sensitivity. This genome-wide analysis also identifies that the loss of RIPK3 expression is the primary factor correlating with escape from necroptosis. Thus, we conclude that necroptosis resistance of cancer cells is common and is oncogene driven, suggesting that escape from necroptosis could be a potential hallmark of cancer, similar to escape from apoptosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Necrosis / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / physiology*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / physiology*
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Protein Kinases
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • RIPK1 protein, human
  • RIPK3 protein, human
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase