ARIH1 signaling promotes anti-tumor immunity by targeting PD-L1 for proteasomal degradation

Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 20;12(1):2346. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22467-8.

Abstract

Cancer expression of PD-L1 suppresses anti-tumor immunity. PD-L1 has emerged as a remarkable therapeutic target. However, the regulation of PD-L1 degradation is not understood. Here, we identify several compounds as inducers of PD-L1 degradation using a high-throughput drug screen. We find EGFR inhibitors promote PD-L1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation following GSK3α-mediated phosphorylation of Ser279/Ser283. We identify ARIH1 as the E3 ubiquitin ligase responsible for targeting PD-L1 to degradation. Overexpression of ARIH1 suppresses tumor growth and promotes cytotoxic T cell activation in wild-type, but not in immunocompromised mice, highlighting the role of ARIH1 in anti-tumor immunity. Moreover, combining EGFR inhibitor ES-072 with anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy results in an additive effect on both tumor growth and cytotoxic T cell activation. Our results delineate a mechanism of PD-L1 degradation and cancer escape from immunity via EGFR-GSK3α-ARIH1 signaling and suggest GSK3α and ARIH1 might be potential drug targets to boost anti-tumor immunity and enhance immunotherapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B7-H1 Antigen / chemistry
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism*
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Female
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Proteolysis
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • Tumor Escape / physiology
  • U937 Cells
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination / drug effects

Substances

  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human
  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • CTLA4 protein, human
  • Cd274 protein, mouse
  • ARIH1 protein, human
  • Arih1 protein, mouse
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex