ABL1-dependent OTULIN phosphorylation promotes genotoxic Wnt/β-catenin activation to enhance drug resistance in breast cancers

Nat Commun. 2020 Aug 7;11(1):3965. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-17770-9.

Abstract

Dysregulated Wnt/β-catenin activation plays a critical role in cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Genotoxic agents such as radiation and chemotherapeutics have been shown to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling although the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that genotoxic agent-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling is independent of the FZD/LRP heterodimeric receptors and Wnt ligands. OTULIN, a linear linkage-specific deubiquitinase, is essential for the DNA damage-induced β-catenin activation. OTULIN inhibits linear ubiquitination of β-catenin, which attenuates its Lys48-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation upon DNA damage. The association with β-catenin is enhanced by OTULIN Tyr56 phosphorylation, which depends on genotoxic stress-activated ABL1/c-Abl. Inhibiting OTULIN or Wnt/β-catenin sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer xenograft tumors to chemotherapeutics and reduces metastasis. Increased OTULIN levels are associated with aggressive molecular subtypes and poor survival in breast cancer patients. Thus, OTULIN-mediated Wnt/β-catenin activation upon genotoxic treatments promotes drug resistance and metastasis in breast cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • DNA Damage*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphotyrosine / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • beta Catenin
  • Phosphotyrosine
  • ABL1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl
  • Endopeptidases
  • OTULIN protein, human